Selected quad for the lemma: law_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
law_n	forbid_v	know_v	sin_n	6,464	5	5.7703	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A30128	Christian behaviour, or, The fruits of true Christianity shewing the ground from whence they flow in their godlike order in the duty of relations, as husbands, wives, parents, children, masters, servants &c. : with a word of direction to all backsliders / by John Bunyan.	Bunyan, John, 1628-1688.	1663 (1663)	Wing B5492; ESTC R14817	52,342	160

to wit 〈◊〉 Professors are great pratlers and ta●●ers and disputers but do little of 〈◊〉 ●hing that bespeaketh Love to the Poor ●r Self-denyal in outward things Some people think Religion is made up of words a very wide mistake Words without deeds is but a half-faced Religi●n Pure Religion and undefilled before God and the Father is this to visit the fa●herless and widows in their affliction and to keep thy self unspotted from the World ●am 1. 27. Again If a Brother or a Si●●er be destitute of daily food and one of you ●ay unto them depart in peace be warmed ●nd filled which are very fine words yet ●f you give them not those things that are ne●essary to the body what doth it profit Jam. ●2 15 16. Now then before I go any further I will hear take an occasion to touch a little upon those sins that are so rife in many Professors in this day and they ●●re Covetousness Pride and Uncleanness 〈◊〉 would speak a word to them in this place the rather because they are they which spoile both Christian Brother-●ood and civil Neighbourhood in too ●reat a measure First for Covetousness 1. Covetousness it is all one wi●● Desire he that desires covets wh●ther the thing he desires be evil 〈◊〉 good Wherefore that which is called coveting in Exod. 20. 17. is called desire in Deut. 5. 21. As the Apostle also saith I had not known lust except the Law had said Thou shalt not covet Rom. 7. 7. that is I had not known lust to be a sin unless the Law had forbid it Wherfore though lawful desires are good 1 Cor. 12. 31. and to be commended yet Covetousness as commonly understood is to be fled from and abhorred as of the Devil 2 Covetousness or evil desire it is the first mover and giveth to every sin it● call as I may say both to move and act as was said before the Apostle had not known sin except the Law had said Thou shalt not desire or covet for● where there is no desire to sin there appears no sin 3. Therefore Covetousness carrieth in it every sin we speak of sins against th● second Table even as a Serpent carri●eth her young ones in her belly This the Scripture affirms where it saith Thou shalt not covet thy Neighbours wife nor his man-servant nor his maid-servant ●nor his Ox nor his Ass nor any thing that 〈◊〉 is thy Neighbours Exod. 20. 17. Covetousness will meddle with any thing Now there are in my mind at present these eight notes of covetousness which hinder Good Works and a Christian Conversation among men wherever they are harboured First When men to whom God hath given a comfortable livelyhood are yet not content therewith This is against the Apostle where he saith Let your conuersation be without covetousness and be content with such things as you have for he hath said I will never leave thee nor forsake thee Heb. 13. 5. Secondly It is covetousness in the Seller that puts him to say of his traffick it is better than it is that he may heighten the price of it and covetousness in the Buyer that prompts him to say worse of a thing than he thinks in his Conscience it is and that for an abatement of a reasonable price This is that which the Apostle forbids under the name of defraud 1 Cor. 6. 7 8. and that which Solomon condemns Prov. 20. 14. Thirdly It is thorow covetousness that men think much of that which goeth beside their own mouth though possibly it goeth to those that have more need than themselves and also that better deserve it than they Fourthly It argueth covetousness when men will deprive themselves and those under them of the priviledges of the Gospel for more of this world and is condemned by Christ Luk. 14. 18 19 20. Fifthly It argueth covetousness when men that have it can go by or hear of the poor and shut up their bowels and compassions from them 1 John 3. 17. Sixthly Also when men are convinced it is their duty to communicate to such and such that have need yet they defer it and if not quite forget it yet linger away the time as being loth to distribute to the necessities of those in want This is forbidden by the holy Ghost Withhold not good from them to whom it is due when it is in the power of thy hand to do it Now it is due from thee to the poor by the Commandment of God if they want and thou hast it Say not then to thy Neighbour Go and come again to morrow and I will give when thou hast it by thee Prov. 3. 27 28. Seventhly It argueth a greedy mind also when after men have cast in their minds at the first what to give they then from that will be pinching and cliping and taking away whereas the holy Ghost saith Every one as he purposeth in his heart so let him give not grudgingly nor of necessity for God loveth a chearful giver 2 Cor. 9. 7. Lastly It argueth a filthy greedy heart also when a man after he hath done any good then in his heart to repent and secretly wish that he had not so done or at least that he had not done so much this is to be weary of well-doing I spe●● now of communicating and carrieth in it two evils First It spoileth the work done And secondly It if entertained spoileth the heart for doing any more so The vile person shall be no more called liberal nor the Churle said to be bountiful for the liberal deviseth liberal things and by liberal things he shall stand Isa. 32. 6 8. Now then to diswade all from this poisonous Sin observe that above all sins in the New Testament this is called Idolatry Ephes. 5. 5. Col. 3. 5. And therefore God's People should be so far from being taken with it that they should be much afraid of the naming of it one among another lest it should as adultrous thoughts infect the heart by the talking of it Ephes. 5. 3. Quest. But why is Covetousness called Idolatry Answ. 1. Because it ingageth the very heart of a man in it to mind earthly things it gets our love which should be set on God and sets it upon poor empty creatures it puts our affections out of Heaven where they should be and sets them on Earth where they should not be Ezek. 33. 31. Phil. 3. 18 19. Col. 3. 1 2 3. Thus it changeth the object on which the heart should be set and setteth it on that on which it should not it makes a man forfake God The Fountain of living water and causeth him to hew to himself cisterns broken cisterns which can hold no water Jer. 2. 11 12 13. For 2. It rejecteth the care government and providence of God towards us and causeth us to make of our own care and industry a god to whom instead of God we fly continually both for the keeping that we have and for getting more This

whited Wall will these things be found vertues in the day of God or is this the way that thou takest to mortifie sin A high look a proud heart and the plowing of the wicked is sin Prov. 21. 4. Pride is the ring-leader of the seven abominations that the Wise man nameth Prov. 6. 16 17. and is that above all that causeth to fall into the condemnation of the Devil 1 Tim. 3. 6. Of Adultery or Uncleanness Now I come in the last place to touch a word or two of Adultery and then to draw towards a conclusion Adultery it hath its place in the heart among the rest of those filthinesses I mentioned before Mark 7. 21 22. of which sin I observe two things First That almost in every place where the Apostle layeth down a catalogue of wickednesses he layeth down Adultery Fornication and Uncleanness in the front as that in Mark 7. 21. Rom. 1. 29. 1 Cor. 6. 9. Gal. 5. 19. Ephes. 5. 3 1 Thes. 4. 3 4 5. Heb. 12. 16. Jam. 2. 11. 1 Pet. 2. 11. 2 Pet. 2. 10. From this I gather that the Sin of Uncleanness is a very predominant and master Sin easie to overtake the sinner as being one of the first that is ready to offer it self at all occasions to break the Law of God Secondly I observe that this sin is committed unawares to many even so soon as a man hath but looked upon a woman I say unto you saith Christ that whosoever looketh on a woman to lust or desire after her he hath already committed Adultery with her in his heart Mat. 5. 28. This sin of uncleanness I say is a very taking sin it is natural above all sins to mankind and as it is most natural so it wanteth not tempting occasions having objects for to look on in every corner wherefore there is need of a double and trible watchfulness in the soul against it It is better here to make a covenant with our eyes like Job Job 31. 1. than to let them wander to God's dishonour and our own discomfort There are these three things which discover a man or woman too much inclining to the uncleanness of their own heart The first is a wanton eye or an eye that doth secretly effect it self with such objects as are tickling of the heart with the thoughts of immodesty and uncleanness Isaiah calls this a wanton eye and Peter an eye full of adultery that cannot cease from sin 2 Pet. 2. 14. Isa. 3. 16. This is that also which Christ calleth an evil eye and John the lust of the flesh and of the eyes and doth defile those who are not very watchful over their own hearts Mark 7. 22. 1 John 2. 16. This wanton eye is that which the most holy Saints should take heed of because it is apt to seize upon them also When Paul bids Timothy beseech the younger women to walk as becomes the Gospel ●e bids him do it with all Purity as who should say take heed that while thou instructest them to holiness thou thy self be not corrupted with the lust of thy eye 1 Tim. 5. 1 2. Oh! how many souls in the day of God will curse the day that ever they gave way to a wanton eye 2. The second thing that discovereth one much inclining to the lusts of uncleanness it is wanton and immodest talk such as that brazen-faced Whore in the seventh of the Proverbs had or such as they in Peter who allured through the lust if the flesh through much wantonness those who were clean escaped from them who live in error 2 Pet. 2. 18. Out of the abun●ance of the heart the mouth speaketh wherefore if we be Saints let us take heed as of our eye so of our tongue and let not the lust of uncleanness or of adultery be once named among us named among us as becometh Saints Ephes. 5. 3. Mark let it not be once named This implies that the lusts of uncleanness are devilishly taking 〈◊〉 will both take the heart with eyes 〈◊〉 tongue Let it not be once named amo●● you c. Thirdly Another thing that bespea●● a man or a woman inclining to wantonness uncleanness it is an adornin● themselves in light and wanton Appar●● The attire of an Harlot is too frequentl● in our day the attire of Professors 〈◊〉 vile thing and argueth much wantonness and vileness of affections If those that give way to a wanton eye wanton words and immodest apparel be no● Whores c. in their hearts I know n●● what to say Doth a wanton eye argue shamfacedness doth wanton talk argue chastity and doth immodest apparel with stretched-out necks naked breasts a made speech and mincing gates c. argue mortification of lusts If any say that these things may argue pride aswell as carnal lusts We●● but why are they proud is it not 〈◊〉 trick up the body And why do they 〈◊〉 pride trick up the body if it be no● 〈◊〉 provoke both themselves and others 〈◊〉 lusts God knoweth their hearts without their outsides and we know their hearts by their outsides My Friends I am hear treating of Good Works and perswading you to fly those things that are henderances to them wherefore bear with my plainness when I speak against Sin I would strike it through with every word because else it will strike us through with many sorrows 1 Tim. 6. 9 10. I do not treat of Good Works as if the doing of them would save us for we are justified by his Grace according to the hope of Eternal Life yet our sins and evil works will lay us obnoxious to the Judgements both of God and man He that walketh not uprightly according to the truth of the Gospel is like to have his peace assaulted often both by the Devil the Law Death and Hell yea and 〈◊〉 like to have God hide his face from him also for the iniquity of his covetousness Isa. 57. 17. How can he that carrieth himself basely in the sight of men think he yet we●● behaveth himself in the sight of God and if so dim a light as is in man 〈◊〉 justly count thee as a transgressor 〈◊〉 shall thy sins be hid from Him whose ey●● lids try the Children of men Psal. 11. 〈◊〉 'T is true Faith without works justifies us before God yet that Faith th● is alone will be found to leave us sinne● in the sight both of God and man Rom● 28. 4. 5. Jam. 2. 18. And though th● addest nothing to that which saveth th● by what thou canst do yet thy righteousness may profit the Son of man 〈◊〉 also saith the Text but if thou shalt 〈◊〉 so careless as to say what care I for bei●● righteous to profit others I tell thee that the love of God is not in thee J●● 35. 18. 1 Joh 3. 17. 1 Cor. 13. 1 2 3. Walk therefore in Gods wayes and 〈◊〉 them for this is your wisdom and y●● understanding in the sight of the N●●ons which