Selected quad for the lemma: law_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
law_n	conclude_v	justify_v	work_n	5,025	5	6.3708	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A07208	Hearing and doing the ready way to blessednesse with an appendix containing rules of right hearing Gods word. By Henry Mason, parson of S. Andrews Vnder-shaft London.	Mason, Henry, 1573?-1647.	1635 (1635)	STC 17609; ESTC S102307	184,084	830

purpose They are blessed who so keepe Gods word in their memories that they may keepe it in their life and practice But then the keeping of it in memorie is but onely intimated and the keeping of it in practice is principally and mainely intended in the Text. In a word then to keep Gods word is to do and performe what it commandeth or requireth to be done And so much be said to the first question 2. Quest The second is But can any man in this life be able thus to keepe or do Gods word And it seemeth no. For S. Iames telleth us that whosoever shall keepe the whole Law and yet offendeth in one point hee is guiltie of all Iam. 2.10 and not long after he telleth us further In many things we offend all Iam. 3.2 It followeth Therefore there is no man but is guilty of the breach of the whole Law and consequently no man can keep it Ans For answer to this question and objection we must note that there is a twofold keeping of Gods word or commandments the one a Legall the other an Evangelicall keeping of them I. First there is a Legall keeping and that is when wee keep and performe the commandements so exactly as is answerable to the rigour of the Law and as the rule of Justice doth require And this exactnesse consisteth in three things 1. That our obedience be universall in respect of the object or that every thing commanded by God bee performed by us without failing in any one point For if the Law be considered in it selfe and without mercie from CHRIST to mitigat the rigour of it it then denounceth a curse against every offence without any exception Moses saith * So the Originall hath it so the vulgar latin Iunius Vatablus c. do render it though our English Trāslation I know not upon what mistake doth add the word all that cōfirmeth not all the words of this Law which is agreable to the meaning but not to the words Cursed is he that confirmeth not the words of this Law to do them Deut. 27.26 And S. Paul alledging this sentence rendreth the sense of it thus Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the booke of the Law to do them Gal. 3.10 Where by saying All things which are written hee teacheth us that the Law in that sentence meant the curse against any one onely sin cōmitted against that Law And accordingly we see it was but one sin alone that cast the Angels out of Heaven and Adam out of Paradise 2. The exact rule of the Law doth require that our obedience bee continuall in respect of the time or that wee performe not onely all the things that are commanded but at all times while the Law is in force and doth require them to be done For he that sinneth once only in all his life confirmeth not all things because then he disanulleth or disobeyeth something in the Law whensoever he performeth not what the Law doth command And therefore the Apostle alledging that former sentence of Deuteronomie Cursed is hee that confirmeth not the words rendreth it thus Cursed is hee that continueth not in all things implying hereby that the meaning of the Law is that he is accursed who at any time transgresseth the Law though it bee but once in all his life And this againe is verified in the example of Adam and the Angels For the sin that cast the Angels out of Heaven and Adam out of Paradise was but once committed by them in all their life 3. The Law in the rigour thereof doth require that our obedience bee full and complete in respect of the degrees and measure of obedience or that it bee with all the heart and with all the soule and the utmost intension and affection of the heart that God ought to bee obeyed withall by men in this mortall life For if a man come short in any degree that is required in our obedience therein hee hath broken that part of the Law which requireth all and consequently by Saint Iames his rule he is a transgressor of the Law stādeth guiltie of the breach of it Now put all these together and the summe will be this that the Legall keeping of Gods word requireth that it be done in all things and at all times and in the most exactest maner that in justice is due or can be exacted at our hands And this is that which I call the Legall keeping of Gods word But thus and in this sense never any man was able to keepe the Law save only the first Adam while he stood in his innocency and CHRIST the second Adam who never lost it This also is further confirmed by that of the Apostle where he concludeth that no man is justified by the Law in the sight of God Gal. 3.11 and ver 10. that as many as are of the workes of the Law are under the curse because it is written Cursed is every one c. Hee meaneth that whosoever is to bee judged according to the rule of the Law without mercie procured by CHRIST for the mitigation of this rigour and for a favourable interpretation of the Law that man is in a cursed and damnable estate because no man on earth can ever bee able to keepe the Law in this exact maner And hence it is that the Angels who were liable to this exact rule of Gods Law and by their creation were made able so to performe it because they committed one sinne against it that once onely were rejected without mercie And so Adam being by his creation in the like state and condition that is alike subject to the exact rule of the Law for one offence once committed by him was cast out of Gods favour and should have so continued for ever for any help that the Law or the rule of justice could afford him And had not CHRIST our Lord come in as a Mediator to make peace and establish a new covenant of grace far different from that of the Law both hee and wee all had perished and beene deprived of heaven and happinesse for evermore Thus wee see what the legall keeping of Gods word is and that no man living is able to keepe it in this sense And therefore this is not the keeping which our Saviour commendeth unto us in this place as a meanes that may make us blessed when hee saith Blessed are they c. II. But secondly there is another kinde of keeping of Gods word called by the Learned Evangelicall and that is when we so keep performe this word Law of God as CHRIST doth require in the Gospell and as God for CHRISTS sake doth accept at our hands in steede of that other of the Law Now this rule of obedience prescribed in the Gospell doth mitigate the rule and rigor of the Law in two things 1. Because it granteth a pardon to some kinde of sinnes and 2. because it accepteth

c. This is the welcome that these duties found at Gods hands 3. Consider the reason why God accepted no better of the services of his owne appointment and that is set downe in the last words Your hands are full of blood The meaning and intendment of the whole speech is this that this people dealt unjustly and tooke bribes and oppressed their poore neighbours for this the Prophet meaneth when he saith your hands are full of blood And because they brought Gods sacrifices and did the works of his service with polluted hands and defiled hearts therefore he rejected both them and their devotions though otherwise they were works of his owne prescribing And what here is said of sacrifices and Sabbaths Festivall assemblies the like is elswhere said of fasting and humiliation and mourning Isa 58.3 4 5 6 and Zach. 7.5 6. And hence the conclusion is that the best services of God in every kinde if they be not performed in an holy maner and with their due circumstances and conditions are of no account in Gods sight It followeth Therefore not onely the matter of good duties but the maner of doing them is required at our hands Vse 1. This confuteth their error who think they have served God well when they have done the outward works contained in his Law though void of all true devotion in the heart and without the circumstances due to such workes Such were the Jews of olde time They said unto God Wherefore have wee fasted and thou seest not Wherefore have we afflicted our soule and thou takest no knowledge Behold in the day of your fast you finde pleasure and exact all your labours Behold ye fast for strife and debate and to smite with the fist of wickednesse ye shall not fast as yee do this day to make your voice to be heard on high Is it such a fast that I have chosen A day for a man to afflict his soule c. Isa 58.3 4 5 6 7. Note here 1. the good opinion that this people had of their fasting they thought so well of it that they durst chalenge God as if hee had done them wrong because he did not reward their service according to its worth Wherefore have we fasted and thou seest not c. 2. Consider the fault that God found with this service and that is In the day of your fast yee finde pleasure c. Where wee may see that God doth neither denie them to have fasted nor blame them because they fasted he onely chalengeth them for doing it amisse For whereas a fasting day should bee spent in humiliation and sorow they on their fasting day found pleasure followed their delights and whereas on the fasting day men should exercise themselves in charity and good works they fasted for strife and debate and to strike with the fist of wickednesse It was not then the matter that was blame-worthy in them but their maner of performing They did a good work but they did not do it well 3. Consider wee the Censure that God passed on this service 1. Hee saith it will not availe them or do them any good Ye shall not fast as yee do this day to make your voice to bee heard on high Which is as if he should say It is a speciall vertue of an holy fast that it carieth our prayers through the clouds and presenteth them before the Throne of grace but this fast of yours hath no such vertue it gaineth no audience to your prayers 2. God denieth this fast to bee any part of his service or any duty that he required or will accept of Is this the fast that I have chosen c And so in conclusion though they tooke great paines as they thought had highly merited Gods favour Yet all was to no purpose because though they performed a good work yet they did not do it in a right maner Thus Isai speakerh of a religious fast joyned with an irreligious life Ieremy saith the like of other holy duties in the like case The place is Ier. 7.8 9 10 11. The words are Behold yee trust in lying words that can not profit Will ye steale murder and commit adultery and sweare falsly and burne incense to Baal and walk after other gods whom yee know not and come and stand before me in this house which is called by my name and say Wee are delivered to do all these abominations Is this house which is called by my name become a den of Robbers in your eyes Behold even I have seene it saith the Lord. In these words these things are considerable 1. what the works were that this people performed and they were these they praied and praised God and did all such services as were usuall in the Temple for that is meant by this phrase ye come and stand before mee in this house 2. What confidence they had in these performances They trusted in lying words saying Wee are delivered c. 3. What the defect of these services was and that was that together with these good works they joyned their owne sinnes murder and stealing and lying for advantage 4 What censure God passed on these devotions thus performed and that was in these two things 1. that they trusted in lying words and 2. that by them they profaned Gods house and made it no better then a den of thieves therein to hide their wicked deeds This was the errour of the ancient Jews in the daies of the Prophets And the like was the error of the Scribes and Pharises in our Saviours time and therefore hee saith of them yee make cleane the outside of the cup and the platter but your inward part is full of ravening and wickednesse Luk. 11.39 And the like hath beene the errour of some seduced Papists in our owne time who think they have served God well when they have gone over their beads mumbled over a taile of Latin prayers which they understand not Nor is the errour of some loose livers amōg our selves any thing lesse or more excusable who detesting the superstitions of the Papists do but change theirs for an other superstition of their own such I meane as measure their religion by the number of the Sermons which they heare as the other measured theirs by the number of prayers which they counted on their beads or on their finger ends These if they heare often pray much repeate Sermons at home they think they are highly in Gods favour though withall they slander their neighbours and revile their Governours and condemne all for reprobats that dance not after their pipe I speake not this to cast any aspersion on those holy duties of hearing and praying and recounting of what wee have heard but to detect their follie and iniquitie who make these holy exercises a cloke for their sin and a ground of their censorious pride Isai and Ieremy did not speake against fasting and sacrifices when they reproved the hypocrits of their time for abusing those