Selected quad for the lemma: evil_n
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A23634
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Man's self-reflection is the special means to further his recovery from his apostasy from God
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Allen, James, 1632-1710.
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1699
(1699)
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Wing A1027; ESTC W1278
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13,768
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34
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up by the work of Powerful Grace and Encouraged to Endeavour it by the same promised grace Hosea 6.1 2 3. Come and let us Return unto the Lord for he hath torn and he will heal us he hath smitten and he will bind us up After two dayes will be revive us in the third day he will raise us up and we shall live in his sight Then shall we know if we follow on to know the Lord. 1 Joh. 1.9 If we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness The further clearing and Improving this Text and Doctrine shall be in Answer to this practical Question Quest What is this Thoughtfulness of our wayes or actions that is such a special means for the cure of Apostasy in a Professing People of God Answ 1. In general take this description of it It is the Exercise of all the powers of the Rational Soul by mans Self Reflection for the knowledge of his ways or actions and for his right Judgment of them with reference to Gods final approving Judgment 1. It is the Exercise of all the Powers of the Rational Soul the Understanding Will and Affections 2 In way of Self-Reflection for the knowledge of his actions which is peculiar to Rational Creature and mainly intends his moral actions as under the direction of a moral Rule for his Obedience and Happiness in Enjoyment of God according to his promise to his obedience Gen. 2.9 3. It is for his Right Judgment of them Man hath a Judicature in himself God hath Authorized in him and is the supream and highest on Earth subordinate only to God about his own actions in reference to God and his inward duty to him Rom. 14.4 Who art thou that judgest another mans servant to his own master he standeth or falleth None are to judge others in things that are indifferent in matters of Religion or doubtful to true Christians but themselves about the sincerity in them or not vers 13. Let us not therefore judge one another any more but consider our own wayes The Judge is Conscience 2 Cor. 1.12 That is a Witness as well as a Judge having the best knowledge of what is in man next to God 1 Cor. 2.11 For what man knoweth the things of 〈◊〉 man save the Spirit of man which is in him And hath Authority in the man to stir up all the powers in it for its right judgment therefore the Psalmist here saith I thought being set on work by Conscience that is seated in the heart or practical judgment that influenceth the whole 1 Joh. 3.20 21. If the heart condemns that is Conscience God is greater and will much more condemn but if it does not there may be Appeals to God to Justify and confidence in it through Christ Psal 130.4 But there is forgiveness with thee that thou mayst be feared It s Knowledge and Authority to stir up the activity of the Rational Powers is in order to this Judgment 4. It is with reference to Gods final approving judgment of them This is the chief end of the power of Conscience in man It is to be approved of God all our Actions may in his final judgment 2 Cor 5.11 It was so in mans Innocency to prevent sin to justify in way of perfect Obedience and since the Fall under the Gospel its main use is to further escaping Gods Condemnation of them 1 Cor. 11.32 by judging themselves and appealing to Gods Gracious Throne for approbation and pardon through Christ 2. More particularly I shall endeavour to shew what are those Exercises of the powers of the Soul when Conscience is awakened to its duty in order to true turning to God are stirred up by it and in what order First The understanding power of the Soul it sets that a work which is the first Operation of the Soul in order to Returning to God a seeing and knowing of our wayes or actions None can rightly judge of what he doth not know and right knowledge of them must go before any serious thoughts about mending them or returning to a right way we must see we are wrong For clearing this take these Remarks about it First That in mans first Creation God gave man an Excellent Understanding not only into the natures of all other Inferiour Creatures to give them suitable names thereunto but also to know his own duty to God as the way to his Happiness not only by the written Law of God in his heart but his positive Law in the Sanctions of the Covenant with him He Reveals what is good and his way to his Happiness Gen. 2.9 17. and what is evil that which God forbids And he had a freedom and power to will and choose the one and refuse the other but Created and Mutable and so by the abuse of that power hath lost it and his knowledge with it of moral good and evil wholly as saying and any right judgment of it in order to it Secondly In Fallen man there are some Remains as some call them of the light of nature in their Consciences or as others rather would call them common gifts to fallen man God gives to all men as benefits in common from Christs Death to all mankind that are beneficial to Humane Society though not saving to the person Thus we read Rom. 1.18 Who hold the truth in unrighteousness that is sin against the light of Conscience The Heathens had a natural light about good and evil as beneficial or destructive to Humane Society Verse 29. who know that they that do such things are worthy of death And some knowledge of duty to God by the help of the works of Creation verse 19 20. Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them for God hath shewed it unto them For the invisible things of him from the Creation of the world are clearly seen being understood by the things that are made even his eternal power and God head so that they are without excuse which though not saving yet left them without excuse and Sins against it deprived them of much of Gods common Goodness and brought them under much of present displeasure and the effects of it which might have been avoided Rom. 2.14 15. For when the Gentiles which have not the law do by nature the things contained in the Law That is in that Law written the Scriptures these having not the law are a law unto themselves Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts their conscience also bearing witness and their thoughts the mean while accusing or excusing one another Thirdly But God hath provided further help for the knowledge of our ways and furthering Saving Returning out of that Apostasy and after-strays from his Rule And that is the Dispensation of his Word Rom. 2.4 Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and long-suffering not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to
repentance Psal 147.19 20. He sheweth his word unto Jacob his statutes and his judgments unto Israel He hath not dealt so with every nation Which hath the promise of the Spirit in the right dispensation of it Isa 30.20 21. Their eyes shall see their Teachers and shall hear a voice behind saying this is the way walk in it and the success of it depends thereon 1. There is a further outward light and discovery of Sin in the sinful and penal evil of it the written Law of God makes discovery of the evil nature of it in that original pravity of our natures since the Fall and of all our evil practices Rom. 3.20 By the Law is the knowledge of Sin and by the Gospel of the Remedy verse 23 24. all have sinned and come short of the glory of God Being justified freely by his grace through the Redemption that is in Jesus Christ The Law strips you naked and lets you see sin and misery And the Gospel discovers the way out of it Rev. 3.17 18. and knowest not that thou art wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked Buy of me gold tried in the fire that thou mayest be rich and white raiment that thou mayest be clothed and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear and anoint thine eyes with eye-salve that thou mayest see 2. There are common gifts of the Spirit which much heightens the light of nature in thus seeing Sin and the Remedy and sometimes powerful Convictions and Awakenings of Conscience thereby Acts 2.37 They were pricked in their hearts and said Men and Brethren what shall we do to be saved to stir up Enquiry after the Remedy 3. There are saving illuminations of the Spirit in the Dispensation of the Word whereby man Fallen is Restored to a true though not a perfect knowledge of God and himself so of the evil of Sin and good of Obedience 2 Cor. 4.6 which is necessary to a right judgment of our ways to a saving turning to him Acts 26.18 called a turning from darkness to light and the power of Sin and Satan to God a sanctifying all the powers of the Soul and begins with this in giving a spiritual eye fit to discern a spiritual object 1 Cor. 2.15 The spiritual man discerneth all things 1. This is the knowledge to be sought and waited for in the Reading the Word Dispensation of it Mat. 20.32 33. for Christs opening them as to the blind men he did Joh. 5.39 2. It is to be exercised in the knowledge of your ways or actions Prov. 8.34 Wait at Wisdoms gates both inward and outward by seeing them in the glass of the word Jam. 1.25 Whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty and continueth therein will be a doer of it and blessed therein 3. Making a through search into your hearts and trial of your ways thereby especially under Afflictive Dispensations for sin an allusion to Judicial Proceedings that is in Lam. 3.40 Search and try your ways and turn to the Lord. Find out the sin and all the aggravations of it by searching and trying your ways or Examining And there is need of Calling in Gods search Psal 139.23 24. Search me O God and know my heart try me and know my thoughts And see if there be any wicked way in me and lead me in the way everlasting To avoid deceits of our sinful and deceitful hearts Jer. 17.7 10. The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked who can know it I the Lord search the heart I try the reins The second operation of the Rational Soul to be exercised is the Memory whereby things known are kept and recalled when actually forgotten and is of special use in turning to God and in fixing the thought upon our ways This is helped in the first operation of it retaining things to be thought on First By the right clear and practical knowledge of them A good memory depends on the good Understanding Those that have the clearest understandings have the happiest memories especially where it is practical about sin and duty when under the powerful Convictions by the Word and Spirit to a deep sense of sin in its sinfulness and penal evil of it to stir up to a Concernedness for deliverance see Act. 2.37 As they were at Peters Sermon that were pricked at the heart The Apostle James tells us Jam. 2.25 That such an Hearer of the Word that looks into the Law of God that is his Word that Reveals the whole mind of God for Salvation as the Angels do into the Mysteries of mans Redemption revealed 2 Pet. 1.12 where is the same word exerciseth his understanding to know it enquires after it and hath impressions of the worth and weight of it he is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of it It is a proverb concerning old men Quod curant senes meminerunt What old men love they will remember in old age when memory fails them in other things Answerable to that Counsel of Solomon Prov. 22.6 Train up a Child in the way he should go and he will not depart from it when he is old The Experience of Christians testifie to it those that most complain of their weak memories yet words they have understood and had impression of on their hearts they never forget David had such a Remembrance of it that he puts God in mind of it Psal 119.49 Remember the word upon which thou hast caused me to hope And encourageth his own faith in him about it endeavour after such a knowledge 2 Pet. 3.18 But grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ as the way to the Remembrance of them 2. Conscience Records all a mans actions in the memory good and bad together with Gods Dispensations to him by his Word and Providences It is the Recorder and Memory is the Book where they are written in order to Gods judgment of them finally and for our judgment to prevent his Condemning judgment Jer. 17.1 It is written with a pen of iron and with the point of a Diamond Hence 2. The second act of memory is needful and useful to the cure of Apostasy which is recalling to mind that which is actually forgotten concerning Gods Law his Ordinances and Providences and our own sins 1. This God helps in by his Word written by frequent requiring it in his people to Remember his word Prov. 4.4 5. Let thine heart retain my words keep my Commandments and live Get wisdom get understanding forget it not His works Exod. 13.3 Remember this day in which you came out of Egypt both merciful and afflictive also Deut. 24.9 So their own sins Deut. 9.7 Remember and forget not how thou provokedst the Lord thy God to wrath in the Wilderness So by the Ministry of it it is one great use of it to put thee in remembrance 2 Pet. 1.13 I think it meet so long as I am in this Tabernacle to put you in