Selected quad for the lemma: law_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
law_n	gentile_n	heart_n	write_v	7,180	5	5.8793	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A07666	A mappe of mans mortalitie Clearely manifesting the originall of death, with the nature, fruits, and effects thereof, both to the vnregenerate, and elect children of God. Diuided into three bookes; and published for the furtherance of the wise in practise, the humbling of the strong in conceit, and for the comfort and confirmation of weake Christians, against the combat of death, that they may wisely and seasonably be prepared against the same. Whereunto are annexed two consolatory sermons, for afflicted Christians, in their greatest conflicts. By Iohn Moore, minister of the word of God, at Shearsbie in Leicester-shire.	Moore, John, d. 1619.	1617 (1617)	STC 18057; ESTC S112851	257,806	358

would haue lurked in secret And as the beames in the Sunne are not euill though they descry and lay open things deformed or filthy which the wicked desire and as the knowledge of Physicke is not to be condemned which acquainteth vs with poyson and venemous things that are in themselues dangerous and abused by some to their owne destruction So the law is not euill in it selfe though it be abused as an occasion of euill to corrupt and wicked men Without the law sinne is dead not as though there was no sinne in the world before the publishing of the law for euen the Gentiles themselues which had not the law written shewed the effect of the law in their hearts the conscience also bearing witnesse and their thoughts accusing one another or excusing and therefore being conuinced in their soules of sinne without the Law written are a law vnto themselues and sinning without law shall perish without the law written by the law of nature that was grafted in their hearts This is confirmed by many Morall vertues which they naturally followed and by many vices which they naturally hated This knowledge of the light of Nature though vnperfect yet is sufficient to confound them albeit sinne indeede was then hidden in respect which is the meaning of the Apostle and their best knowledge of the Law ouer-shadowed and well-nigh blotted out that sinne could not appeare in his nature But when the Law was renewed sinne that seemed to be dead reuiued and shewed it selfe All the spots did then appeare which before were darkened by the ignorance of Gods Law which Man gained by his fall The Law then conuinced vs of sinne and reuealed our nakednesse which our figge leaues had hidden it opened the inward man with all his concupiscence it shewed vs our shame and confusion our vglesome shape most monstrous to beholde how wee were transformed from the image of God to the similitude of the Diuell It put vs in remembrance of our diuine nature which we had lost it shewed vs hell and the wrath of God nothing but condemnation appeared by it It let vs vnderstand how farre we were led from God how all things within vs and without vs were corrupted and out of course It painted our God in his nature according to his most pure holinesse and iustice how he requireth all our hearts all our soules all our mindes all our strength that is to say the whole man and euery part of him in his seruice The least sinne could not so shroude it selfe but the law discouer it not condemning onely all our outward acts but giuing sentence against all our wicked thoughts yea all our idle motions without consent And therefore since all flesh created of God is corrupted so that all the imaginations of mans heart are onely euill continually since all men by the law are conuinced of sinne all included vnder sinne and subiect vnto the same guilt of condemnation since by the Law commeth the knowledge of sinne which leaueth euery man without excuse since it was added because of transgression and that our sins might more appeare and abound therefore it is called to the vnregenerate man an importable yoke the occasion of sinne the law of sinne and of wrath the administration of condemnation the oldnesse of the letter which cannot giue life but pronounce all our workes accursed The law is a hammer not only to bruise the conscience but to breake it into powder which if it be not done we shall neuer haue the spirit of adoption to seize vpon vs The law commandeth but giueth no power to obey It is but a dead letter and hath but a dolefull and dreadfull sound vntill the spirit come and arme vs with power to performe what the law requireth And now behold the strength and sting of Death How did Death enter by sinne How did sin appeare and what is the strength of the same euen the law of God which giueth sentence of condemation against all flesh and leaueth not one iustified in Gods sight And yet notwithstanding all this the law of God is holy iust and good opening vnto vs his very will which is goodnesse it selfe setting a blessing before our eyes as well as a curse It was not contrary to our nature before it was corrupted but agreeable to the image of man in which hee was first created it sheweth the very perfect patterne of true obedience what is agreeable to God and his nature how much he hateth sinne and delighteth in goodnesse it offereth both life and death life to the obayers death to the breakers Therefore let vs all glorifie God in this behalfe let euery mans mouth be stopt from accusing God or his law let vs confesse against our selues our manifold sinnes and say vnto him Shame and confusion appertaineth vnto vs Death and condemnation are our due Thy heauy anger wrath and hell be our deserts and thou O blessed God art iust righteous good and gracious in all thy doings for euer Let vs thus I say giue sentence against our selues that God may be iustified and praised euen before the most wickedest men when he is iudged Well then let vs beare in minde that God is not rigorous in punishing sinfull man with euerlasting Death by reason of his innumerable sinnes conuinced by his Law and that Gods infinite iustice thus broken and disobeyed could not otherwise be answered of man but by the infinite sustaining of eternall Death And now I pray you marke the whole power of Sathan and kingdome of the Diuell first hee fighteth and warreth with temptations which are as darts to wound our soules to Death which if we resist not being so tempted but yeeld to sinne then comes the Law against vs with his force and by vertue of the Law Death entreth and triumpheth for the sting of Death is sinne and the strength of sinne is the Law for it sheweth vs hell which is the pallace of Death and leaueth vs in perdition See I say what Prince Death hath and what strong souldiers to keepe his kingdome to wit the Diuell himselfe sinne law wrath of God and all to vphold it Wherefore it is no maruell if the remembrance of Death be bitter vnto many and that they abhorre and hate it I say it is no wonder if all their ioynts doe quake and tremble yea and shake a sunder since the horrour thereof made the sonne of God to pray against it to sweate drops of blood for the agony of it and to cry out to his father as a man forlorne why hast thou forsaken me Neither was this so strange a wonder to see the sonne of God so amased at Death for it set both Diuell law sinne hell graue and wrath of God against him All these were armed to ouerthrow him and any or the least of these without this our Captaine Christ will quite destroy vs. CHAP. IX Of

in the condemnation of the reprobate and an entrance for his mercy in the saluation of his elect for if there had beene no fall of man God should haue manifested himselfe neither iust in condemning some nor mercifull in sauing others which very much would haue obscured his glory and altogether depriued him of his praises amongst the sonnes of men c. Man was subiect to death by nature yet not of necessitie as though he saw no way to shunne it and now I goe no further then mans knowledge reuealed in the word setting Gods decree and secret counsell aside for he had sufficient power giuen him of God in his creation to auoide it Gods law was written in his heart agreeable to his nature he thought it no yoake or burthen to obserue it his shoulders or backe being bigge enough to sustaine it Sinne therefore wee may see hath diminished our strength and altered our nature that now we are forced to be slaues to those who before were our subiects Gods law now written is the same which before was engrauen in our nature yet now it is such a huge weight and heauie yoake which neither we nor our fathers were euer able to beare CHAP. III. Of the greatnesse of Adams sinne and his grieuous fall with the fearefull effects and fruites thereof MAn being thus created in so glorious an estate raigning and ruling not onely as a Prince but as it were a petty God vpon the earth all things being put in subiection vnder his feete Sathan that olde serpent and enuious aduersary of mankinde hauing fallen himselfe and his associates by his and their owne transgression into a most cursed and wretched estate enuying at the blessednesse of our first parents so happily planted vpon the earth and placed in Paradise possessing the body of the Serpent and abusing his forme drew Enah by his wiles to heare her God accused of vnkindnesse and from hearing to suspition and from suspition to plaine rebellion against his law and so Sathan not contented she was made his snare to catch her husband also But marke I pray you this diuels proceeding and see what hookes this Fisher hid vnder his fine and pleasant baites First he bewitcheth her sences with a faire sight and pleasant shew of the forbidden fruit then he assaileth her with infidelity and doubtfulnesse of Gods word namely that they should die the death thirdly he opposeth himselfe against the vndoubted truth of Gods word setting downe the contrary Ye shall not die lastly he pricketh them forward to pride and selfe-loue Ye shall be as Gods euen as cunning as the highest in good and euill So they poore creatures not resting vpon God nor asking counsell at his word but trusting to themselues deceiued by his strange delusions yeelded and in yeelding were seduced and so shackled with the wards of their owne sinne and fetters of their owne finding out and as he solde himselfe to sinne and Sathan by this his fall so iustly did God ordaine the meanes to hamper him to wit Death and Destruction Neither was this action contrary to his iustice except he should haue denied himselfe nor yet repugnant to his vnchangeable word pronounced for in the beginning as we haue heard God created man holy and righteous euen like to himselfe and so long as he kept this forme he enioyed Gods presence his protection and prouidence ruled ouer him he wanted nothing that was needefull for him all the creatures were his seruants they came at his call and bowed at his becke he wanted nothing that heart could wish he was placed in Paradise amidst all passing pleasures the ground of it selfe yeelded forth her encrease without toyle or trauell he was made subiect to no creature but was Lord ouer all him onely excepted that had thus preferred him Now this his gracious God and bountifull Lord for all these his graces and blessings vnspeakeable required no great seruice or homage at his hands he exacted no great rent he did not ouercharge him but onely this to shew his soueraigne power he gaue him a Commandement no weighty thing to be obserued but a small matter and easie to be performed to wit that he hauing such choise and aboundance of all things besides should abstaine for his pleasure from tasting of the tree of the knowledge of good and euill and all this he did to try his obedience And now behold this vnkinde creature this vngratefull wretch and wicked man forgetting God and his duetie casting aside his blessings and graces wherewith he abounded most traiterously villainously and shamefully rebelling against his Lord contemneth his Creatour and setteth his God at naught he listneth to the Diuell and beleeueth his lies and followeth like a beast his sensuall appetite and euen in that one thing forbidden spiteth his God regardeth not his word feareth not death that was threatned but eateth of the forbidden tree maugre the beard of God and his iudgements And here let vs throughly consider not so much the matter and meanes which was but the eating of an Apple as the manner and measure of this rebellion and sinne which manifested it selfe by these degrees first a doubtfulnesse of Gods word which made him to stagger secondly a losse of faith not beleeuing Gods threatning thirdly a nise curiositie in departing from Gods word and seeking other wisedome fourthly a pride in desiring to be greater then God had made him fiftly a contempt of God breaking his law against his conscience sixtly an apostasie in falling from the counsell of God to beleeue the Diuell seuenthly an ingratitude and hellish vnkindenesse in driuing away and expelling Gods holy spirit dwelling in them eightly a murthering of himselfe and his whole posteritie for this fall of his was the first opening of the gate to all sinne and misery to all mankinde This sinne therefore can no way be lessened consisting of so many most monstrous and horrible impieties Could any punishment possible be sharpe enough for such a monstrous fact that whereas God had giuen them such liberty and freedome of all things yet would not so much as obey him in this one Againe God did not onely binde him to obedience but threatned his rebellion if thou eate thereof thou shalt die the death Notwithstanding Gods commanding and his threatning he is most carelesse and swiftly runnes headlong to sinne and wickednesse and so entred into such a maze of miseries from whence neither himselfe nor his posteritie were euer able to vnwinde themselues for so abusing his owne free will he lost it and was made a slaue to Sathan and himselfe Gods image being by his fall defaced he became like the diuell and contemning life he found out death euen death eternall This was the wages of his sinne this was the hire of his labour this profit reaped he for his paines God thrust him out of Paradise and being expelled he was kept out by the Cherubins so