Selected quad for the lemma: love_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
love_n	great_a	mercy_n	sin_n	6,310	5	4.7918	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A47193	The universall free grace of the Gospell asserted, or, The light of the glorious Gospell of Jesus Christ, shining forth universally, and enlightning every man that coms [sic] into the world, and therby giving unto every man, a day of visitation wherin it is possible for him to be saved, which is glad tydings unto all people, being witnessed and testifyed unto, by us the people called in derision Quakers : and in opposition to all denyers of it, of one sort and another proved by many infallible arguments, in the evidence and demonstration of the spirit of truth, according to Scripture testimonies and sound reason : with the objections of any seeming weight against it, answered it, answered / by George Keith.	Keith, George, 1639?-1716.; Furly, Benjamin, 1636-1714.	1671 (1671)	Wing K228; ESTC R13258	128,214	140

reprovs the Devills for sin works not in them savingly therefore that which reprovs men for sin doth not work savingly in them which followeth not at all For Devills and men are of different kinds and the way of the Lord towards them differing in kind For though it be the same Spirit of God and Christ which reproveth Divels and men yet in the way or manner thereof is great difference For the Devills he reproveth onely in wrath without any mixture of love and mercy and therefore we never read that he calleth upon them to repent and turn as he doth upon men or mankind Nor do we affirm that which reproves men for sin to work for their salvation Viz. onely because it reprovs them but because it so reproves them i. e. in a way of gentleness tenderness mercy not onely reprovs but calls moves draws allures strives with o●… leads them to repentance as Peter saith waiting with long-sufferance as in the days of Noah as is already largely proved Object 23 But mans own nature as corrupt as it is teacheth him some things as the Apostle saith doth not even nature it self teach you Nature teaches a man not to defile himself with abeast or with mankind so that bestiality sodomy c. are sins against the very nature of man though corrupt Answ. True it is the nature of man though corrupt teacheth him some things yet so as but naturally and there are some things so bad that the very nature of man abhorreth them as bestiality sodomy c. being against nature But it is most certain both from Scripture and universall experience there is a more high and Noble principle in man then that of his own Nature even universally which reproveth men not onely for those grosse and abominable sins but for other things which mans corrupt nature not onely reprovs him not for but prompts and inclines him to And besides though man in his own thoughts and reasonings may prove himself guilty in divers things after a sort convince reprove himself therefore in and by his own thoughts and reasonings yet there is still a principle in man which over and beyond all his own thoughts and reasonings doth convince him of evil and reprove him for it and this most manifestly of all in the deepest silence of a mans own thoughts and reasonings neither is there any man living but may observ a manifest difference betwixt those convictions and reproofs which proceed from the Light and Spirit of God and Christ in his own seed and those that proceed onely from a mans owne naturall Spirit in his own thoughts and reasonings For when the Spirit of God and Christ reproveth and convinceth a man he doth it livingly and in such power that it pricketh the heart and worketh in it as a fire hammer or sword whereas the naturall Spirit of man doth it but in a dead and cold manner And though this be the way of many to work convictions upon themselvs meerly by and through their own naturall Spirit in their thoughts and reasonings and hammerings there with upon their hearts calling in the ayd and help of the Letter of the Scriptures for that effect yet they do not proffit themselvs in so doing but indeed do greatly hurt themselvs For this is all but the sparks of their own kindling and their own works which they should cease from which if they did they would in that cessation and stilness find the Light and Spirit of Christ as their minds are turned towards it to work mightily in them the tru and reall convictions for sin which tend to work tru contrition and tenderness of heart towards God and the tru and godly repentance never to be repented of And so if the Spirit of the Lord make use of the Scripture testimonies in bearing in convictions of guilt upon the soule they are very usefull which otherwise as used meerly by mans own naturall Spirit are but a killing letter Object 24. It s said the Lord gave his Laws unto Iacob and his statuts unto Israell but that he had not dealt so with every nation therefore every nation hath not that in them which would teach them his Laws and statuts It is also said in Iudah is God knowne therefore not in other places Answ. I deny these wild consequences For though the Lord dealt not so with other nations as with Jacob Israell and Judah as to the outward Laws statutes and outward occasions afforded them of knowledge c. Yet he left not the other nations destitute of the main and principall thing even the manifestation of the light and Spirit of his Son in their hearts and consciences which would have given them the knowledge of God and of all his Laws and statuts needfull to be known by them had they improved the same aright And those that did improve it did both know the Lord and his Laws and were justified through faith in him who outwardly were neither of Jacob Israell nor Judah but Gentiles in other Nations as hath been shewed and seing it hath been so in times past why may it not be so now Object 25. If the Light wherewith Christ hath inlightned every man be sufficient unto salvation then the coming of Christ in the outward with his obedience sufferings and death were in vaine Answ. This is also a false and senceless consequence grounded upon a meer mistake as if the sufficiency of the Light and Grace of Christ within did make void the use and benefit of his outward coming obedience death and sufferings or were to be set in opposition thereunto which is utterly false for they are not to be set in opposition to each other as if the one did hinder the sufficiency or usefullness of the other both being sufficient and usefull and necessary each in their own kind and way consummating and being consummated in one another Besides this Objection lyes as much against the Scriptures For either the manifestation of God to the children of men before the Scriptures or any part of them were written was sufficient unto salvation or it was not If it were not no man before the Scriptures living could be saved If it were then was the giving of the Scriptures by this Argument in vain a superfluous and useless thing Object 26. But if the Light within be sufficient to teach and give the knowledge of God unto salvation then the Scriptures are in vain and it is in vaine to make use of outward teachings by men or books or any outward means what soever Answ. The vanity and unreasonableness of this consequence I have already shewn above and so need say the less to it here Indeed the plain contrary is the truest and most ingenuous consequence Viz that because the Light within is sufficient therefore the teachings of men and books are proffitable which can only proffit as in the Light they are received and made use of and from the Light do proceed And therefore all men who

cause of what hee affirmed or desined the Gospell to be For the naturall illumination is no part of the Gospell nor doth reveal any part of it and so cannot be given as a cause of what hee affirmed of the Gospell Let the Iudicious Reader weigh and ponder this in the true Ballance and hee wil find it weighty But 2. the naturall Illumination cannot reveale from heaven the wrath of God against all ungoodlines and unrighteousnes of men But the manifestation here spoken of doth so Therefore this manifestation is not the naturall Illumination The first Proposition is proved from our Adversaries owne concession who affirme that the naturall illumination which is in all mens doth not discover all sins but some onely especially those against the second Table as unrighteousnes betwixt men and men for if it did discover all sin then it would discover all duty becaus by the same that I know such a thing to be sin I know the contrary to be a duty and if it did discover al duty then it would things pertaining to the true Faith and Worship of God Which the meer naturall Illumination cannot doe therefore I say our Adversaries grant that the naturall Illumination cannot discover all sin and if it cannot discover all sin then it cannot discover the wrath of God against all sin for that which discovers the one discovers the other yea in so far is sin knowne to be sin as the wrath of God is revealed against it The second Proposition is proved from the Apostles words for saith hee the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodlines and unrighteousnes of men now these two all ungodlines and unrighteousnes comprehends all sin 3. This Manifestation is said to be a Revelation from heaven Therefore it hath a higher rise then mans owne naturall understanding 4. This Manifestation is said to be that which may be knowne of God which hee had shewed unto them Therefore it is of an Evangelick and saving nature for so is that which may be knowne of God wheras the naturall Illumination is not that which may be knowne of God nether deservs it such a high name for that which may be knowne of God Imports all that can be knowne of him for all that can be knowne of him is but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that which may be knowne of him Now the naturall illumination is but a very small discovery of him and very darkly so that in these words is plainly held forth that whatever may be known of God of his light life glory goodnes mercy and saving power is manifest in men in a seed or principle which as it is permitted to spring up in them gives them the knowledge of all that is needfull or may be knowne of him and so the words may be translated that which is needfull or ought to be knowne of God is manifest in them Quod est cog●…osendum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but the naturall Illumination discovers neither that which may be knowne of him or ought or is needfull to be knowne of him c. 5. By this Manifestation here mentioned they did clearly see the Invisible things of God even his eternall Power and Godhead as it is said therefor it was not the naturall manifestation or illumination which givs not clearly to see the invisible things of God but very dimly and darkly to apprehend them all the knowledge of mans naturall light or reason concerning the invisible things of God being but an abstractive knowledge gathered from things visible by Inferences and Deductions of the Reasoning Part which is farre from a clear seing of them which is the Intuitive knowledge which the revelation of the Son only giveth 6. By this Manifestation they were left without excuse Therefore it was not a meer naturall illumination I prove the Consequence becaus a meer naturall illumination is not sufficient to render any man without excuse which I thus evince That is only sufficient to render a man without excuse which is sufficient if it wer duly Improved to render him excusable and acceptable unto God But the naturall illumination is not such according to our Adversaries own confession Therfor the first Proposition is manifest to any of sound Judgment for if it wer not hee should have an excuse Viz. the insufficiency of the thing As now if a Master should give to his servant a piece of Mony to improve among Marchands and Exchangers if the Mony wer not sufficient enough so that hee Could not improve it and be approved of his Master when his Master called him to give an account of his Mony Hee could not be without excuse but would have an excuse sufficient Viz. the Insufficiency of the mony But of this more afterwards This manifestation here mentioned is the Truth which they ar said to have held in unrighteousnes verse 18. for which the wrath of God was revealed against them But The naturall Illumination is no where in Scripture called the Truth nor indeed doth it deserve such a Name for that it is corruptible and become very Corrupt and Impure through sin whereas the truth is eternally pure and incorruptible Now by Truth in Scripture is sometimes understood Christ himselfe sometimes the Spirit of Christ as Iohn said the Spirit is truth 1. Joh. 5. 6. And sometimes that heavenly and Divine Seed of Regeneration is called the truth in which the Son and the Spirit is manifest and so it is understood Psal. 85. 11. Truth shall spring out of the earth Now what earth is this but the hearts of the children of men which is the field where this Divine and heavenly Seed is sown which through the preyalence of Error unrighteousnes hath long beene choaked and supprest and laine barren but here is a Prophecy that it shall spring up yea and else where it is promised that it shall fill the Earth and Righteousnes shall looke downe from heaven i. e. the Spirit Light and Life of righteousnes shall influence it from heaven and cause it to grow up and loose it out of its bonds wherin it hath beene so long detained As it is here Rom. 1. 18. they had the truth given them but they held it in unrighteousnes were not obedient to it as Rom. 2. 8. received it not in love As 2. Thess. 2. 10. but resisted it as 2. Tim. 3. 9. and in many other places of Scripture the Truth is held forth to be the very Saving Gift of God which Sanctifieth and begetteth unto God and setteth free from sin and it is joined with things of a heavenly and saving nature as Grace asid Truth Mercy and Truth Peace and Truth Righteousnes and Truth and they who fear God are called Men of truth Exod. 18. 21. and said Christ every one that is of the truth heareth me Joh. 18. 37. And for this end said he came I into the world to witnes unto the Truth by all which cannot be meant the naturall Illumination