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
A76312	The grounds and foundation of natural religion, discover'd, in the principal branches of it in opposition to the prevailing notions of the modern scepticks and latitudinarians. With an introduction concerning the necessity of revealed religion. By Tho. Beconsall, B.D. and fellow of Brasenose Colledge, in Oxford.	Becconsall, Thomas, d. 1709.	1698 (1698)	Wing B1657aA; ESTC R223530	119,538	326

Providence has contrived to enforce the Observance of it By this means their Time and Thoughts will not be engrossed in deep Researches after the Line of Duty and consequently a competent Share of both may be reserved in advancing Arts and Methods to enforce the Practice of it By this means the World enjoys a standing Order of Men by Divine Appointment whose Office is not only to preserve the Line of Duty entire and uncorrupt but to press and inculcate the Observance of it by all the Methods of Persuasion By this means the Overtures of spiritual Succours are ascertain'd to facilitate the Practice of Virtue and certainly where such unmerited Acts of Grace are conferred God may well be allowed to publish his own Canon and require a suitable Obedience to it especially when the doing it is another Act of Grace and unspeakable Condescension § 7. But to proceed the most convincing Argument to represent the Necessity of Revelation derives from the Necessity of a Mediator It 's abundantly concluded That the whole World lieth in Wickedness we certainly carry the Seeds and Principles of Sin about us that will bring forth Fruit unto Death or A Law in our Members warring against the Law of our Minds and bringing us into Captivity unto the Law of Sin This is not a piece of Spiritual Cant invented by any Designing Leaders of an Vnthinking Herd we have traced it in it's Original for by one Man Sin entred into the World and Death by Sin And tho' the Sin of this one Man may not be allowed to be the formal Sin of the whole World yet the Seeds and Principles of Sin engendred by this Sin of one Man and propagated in him thro' the World cannot be denied In this Sense at least Death passed upon all for that all have sinned In this Sense all have sinned and come short of the Glory of God In this Sense the whole Race of Mankind were by Nature the Children of Wrath. The Vengeance of Sin did undoubtedly hang over our Heads in a State of Nature and consequently Deliverance and Safety can only be expected in a State of Revelation For nothing but God who is rich in Mercy for the great Love wherewith he hath loved us even when we were dead in our Sins hath quickned us together with Christ by this Grace we are Saved Natural Reason will inform us That the Wages of Sin is Death for since every Sinner lies at the Foot of Infinite Mercy the Methods of Redemption are lodged in the Hands of God to be established as he shall think fit to reveal himself If God intends a Redemption infinitely more valuable than that Death which he might have exacted in every Man's Person he may rightfully pitch upon his own Methods and establish his own Laws of Redemption The Wisdom and Purity of his own blessed Nature would induce him to contrive a Redemption suitable to the Nature of the Punishment as well as Crime He therefore resolved upon a Substitute or Mediator and required Death for Death Blood for Blood even the Blood of the Immaculate Lamb of God a Sacrifice not only negatively Pure but of infinite inherent Worth and Value It was therefore absolutely necessary God should communicate himself by some special Revelations The Condition of Mankind was such that they must be eternally miserable without some special Communications and Intercourses with their Maker and it was an Act of infinite Grace and Mercy that God was pleased to make his Proposals to his Off-spring This certainly introduces a fresh Covenant between God and Man God was obliged to signifie all his Proposals of Grace and Mercy or the Riches of his Love and consequently it was not only extreamly fit but necessary that he should give us an entire Body of Laws established on express Sanctions and that these should remain as inviolable Conditions on our part to oblige him to make good all his Overtures and Dispensations Thus the necessity of Revelation is established upon a Train of Causes and issues forth of the certain Frame and Posture of Human Affairs and Exigencies Tho' Natural Reason could instruct us in the Line of Duty and we acted with Ingenuity and Abilities to regulate our Lives conformable to it yet in as much as we have been Sinners nothing less than a new Covenant established in a Mediator can entitle us to the Favour of God or that Happiness to which we were originally created Let the Deist then ridicule the revealed Dispensations of his Maker as long as he pleases there 's nothing as yet revealed but what is wonderfully accommodated to the State and Condition of Human Nature nothing but what a Mind that is not grown leud and wanton with Lust will acknowledge to be the Effect of Necessity as well as infinite Bounty and he that disputes it I 'm perswaded is embarked in the same Design with the Psalmist's Fool That hath said in his Heart There is no God § 8. I hope I have in some measure removed this mighty Objection and certainly nothing remains but a short Return to the Absurdity which our Adversaries would throw upon us If Revelation say they were necessary God must be obliged to have published it to the whole Race of Mankind I 'm perswaded there 's no Necessity for Thought or Art to expose or uncover the Nakedness of this Objection It 's abundantly concluded That Man is the Harbinger to his own Misery and consequently it 's an Act of Grace in God to send Overtures of Deliverance If he is the Sovereign Lord of Grace as well in respect of the Time as the Measure and Extent of it there 's no Injustice in confining it either as to Time or Place It 's sufficient that he has taken competent Methods for publishing his own Dispensations whereever he obliges Mankind to the Conditions of it Upon the whole then Revelation is necessary and yet this Necessity does by no means interfere with a Law of Nature antecedent to it The Reader is desired to make the following Amendments ADD and line 23. p. 4. them read Revelation p. 6. l. 9. the r. this p. 18. l. 18. add an after and p. 25. l. 16. omit of p. 28. l. 12. omit if p. 29. l. 25. to r. of p. 38. l. 4. add if p. 39. l. 28. add en to graved p. 43. l. 12. we r. he p. 46. l. 12. Rev. r. Lev. p. 48. l. 19. of r. for l. 22. ib. add there are after and p. 58. l. 25. add only after not p. 89. l. 11. Conscientiaa r. Conscientia p. 92. dictate r. dictates p. 114. l. 19. Intrusion r. Invasion p. 135. l. 7. add any after away p. 136. l. 9. omit is p. 140. l. 9. add as after well p. 140. l. 28. from r. the p. 151. l. 26. yet r. yes p. 161. l. 19. omit tho' p. 169. l. 22. add his before Off-spring p. 180. l. 1. Portion r. Notion p. 185. l. 2. Natures r. Nature p. 242. l.