Selected quad for the lemma: mercy_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
mercy_n	look_v	lord_n	soul_n	5,124	5	5.4191	4	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A74993	Certain select discourses on those most important subjects, requisite to be well understood by a catechist in laying the foundation of Christian knowledge in the minds of novitiates viz., First discourses on I. The doctrine of the two covenants both legal and evangelical, II. On faith and justification / by William Allen. Secondly, Discourses on I. The covenant of grace, or baptismal covenant, being chatechetical lectures on the preliminary questions and answers of the Church-Catechism : II. Three catechetical lectures on faith and justification / by Thomas Bray, D.D.	Allen, William, d. 1686.; Bray, Thomas, 1658-1730.	1699 (1699)	Wing A1055A; ESTC R172154	614,412	564

sin And when he delivered them his Law with the greatest terrour and astonishment to them yet even then he assured them That he would shew Mercy to Thousands of them that love him and keep his Commandments as in the Second Commandment And in ease of their miscarriage to the drawing down of God's Judgments upon them he bespeaks them thus When thou art in tribulation and all these things are come upon thee even in the latter days if thou turn to the Lord thy God and shalt be obedient to his Voice for the Lord thy God is a merciful God he will not forsake thee nor forget the Covenant of thy Fathers Deut. 4.31 and 30.1 2 3. Levit. 26.39 c. From all which grounds the Faithful among them had such a hope and confidence of pardon of Sin and of a future Happiness in another Life upon their Repentance and sincere Obedience as did effectually induce them to have good thoughts of God to love him and to endeavour to please him by having respect unto all his Commandments This made him say Psal 130.4 There is forgiveness with thee that thou mayest be feared And under this hope and confidence the twelve Tribes did instantly serve God day and night and grounded this Hope of theirs upon the Promise made of God unto their Fathers as St. Paul tells us Acts 26.6 7. And indeed it was the unanimous Faith of the most eminent among them from Age to Age that God had both made and would keep a Covenant to shew Mercy to those that love him and keep his Commandments or that walk before him with all their Heart For that they looked upon as the Condition of God's Promise of shewing Mercy This we may see in Moses David Solomon and in Daniel and Nehemiah Deut. 7.9 Know therefore that the Lord thy God he is God the faithful God which keepeth Covenant and Mercy with them that love him and keep his Commandments So David Psalm 103.17 18. The mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting to such as keep his Covenant and to those that remember his Commandments to do them And thus Solomon 1 Kings 8.23 And he said Lord God of Israel there is no God like thee who keepest Covenant and Mercy with thy servants that walk before thee with all their heart So Daniel in his 9th Chap. 4th ver O Lord the great and dreadful God keeping the Covenant and Mercy to them that love him and to them that keep his Commandments And Nehemiah likewise Chap. 1.5 I beseech thee O Lord God of Heaven the great and terrible God that keepeth Covenant and Mercy for them that love him and observe his Commandments This we see was the serious and constant Profession of the Faith of the Servants of God in those Times And in this Faith and Practice doubtless it was that they lived and died and were saved CHAP. IV. That the Law contained a Covenant different from that with Abraham IN the next place I am to shew That the Law of Moses did contain a Covenant distinct and of a different nature from the Covenant which God made with Abraham and his Spiritual Seed Besides the general Promise which God made to Abraham respecting the Gentiles as well as the Jews In thee all Nations of the Earth shall be blessed he made a Special Covenant with him as a Reward of his signal Faithfulness to give unto his Natural Seed the Land of Canaan Nehem. 9.8 Thou foundest his heart faithful before thee and madest a Covenant with him to give the Land of the Canaanites to his Seed In order to the fulfilling of which Promise after he had brought them out of Egypt he united them under himself as Head in one Political Body by a Political Covenant Exod. 19. c. which is the Covenant I am now to discourse of In which discourse I would 1. Shew in what respect the Law of Moses is said to contain a Covenant of a different nature from the Covenant of Grace made with Abraham 2. Prove that it did contain such a different Covenant 3. For farther illustration consider it in its parts and their relation one to another 4. And in what respect this Covenant is called the first Covenant when as the Covenant of Grace was made before it 1. In what respect the Law of Moses is said to contain a Covenant of a different nature from the Covenant of Grace made with Abraham The Law of Moses comes under a twofold consideration 1. As in conjunction with the Promise to Abraham to which it was annexed it made up one entire Law by which the Israelites were to be governed and directed in the way to Eternal Life And in this conjunction the Promise was the Life and Soul as it were of the Body of the Mosaic Law properly taken And in this sense as the word Law signifies the Pentateuch or five Books of Moses which contain the Promise as well as the Law it is sometimes used in the New Testament Gal. 4.21 22. 1 Cor. 14.34 Luke 16. And in this sense doubtless we are to understand the Law upon which David bestowed so many glorious Encomiums as he did saying The Law of the Lord is perfect converting the Soul c. Psal 19.2 We are to consider the Law of Moses as given at Sinai in a stricter sense as it was an Instrument or Rule of Government in the Commonwealth of Israel The Law in the former sense of it promised Eternal Life though but obscurely to those that did believe its Promises and sincerely obey its Precepts In the latter sense it promised only temporal Blessings to those that strictly observed it in all the parts of it and threatned those with temporal Calamities that did not The same Laws materially of this Political Covenant related to both the Covenants As Eternal Life was promised in the Covenant of Grace upon condition of sincere Obedience to those Laws as an effect of Faith in the Promise so those Laws in conjunction with the Promise were as I may so say Evangelical But as temporal Benefits only were promised in that Covenant upon condition of strict Obedience to those Laws and as those Laws were enjoyned under temporal Penalties as they were Commonwealth-Laws so that Covenant containing those Laws was Political and in this Political respect it was another Covenant If the Law of God and the Law of Man command or forbid things materially the same yet if the one command or forbid them under pain of Damnation and the other only under temporal Penalties these Laws are not formally the same The Commonwealth of Israel had no Commonwealth-Laws but what God himself gave them the which Laws they also Covenanted with him to observe by which Covenant they were united under him as Head of that Political Body And therefore when they would needs choose them a King like other Nations God told Samuel saying They have not rejected thee but they have rejected me that I should not

therefore by the Presentation of those things to their Senses with all the Advantage that Satan has Skill enough to put 'em off withal their Lusts and Appetites do wholly desire these things And as Satan does excite our Lusts and Appetites to covet Unlawful things by whatever pleases any of our Senses Especially the Senses of Seeing and Tasting so especially by those Objects that do gratify the Senses of Seeing and Tasting Hence as to the Lusts of the Eye How many look so long upon a Woman till they have committed Adultery with her already in their Hearts And as to our Appetites How many Belly-Gods with Esau Sell their Inheritance for a Mess of Pottage But our being taken only with outward things is such an high Ingratitude to God who hath provided so much better for us and such an Abuse to our own Souls which are capable of relishing higher Enjoyments as is not to be endured But our being taken only with sensible ond outward Things is such an high Ingratitude to God and such an Abuse to our own Souls as is not to be endur'd What can shew more Ingratitude to God than to despise those Noble Enjoyments which he has prepared for purify'd Souls in Heaven and to choose to feed upon the Husks of sensual Pleasures here below And as to our own Souls Why should such excellent Beings of such exquisite Faculties capable of relishing those Pure and Heavenly Joys above be clogg'd and surfeited with those cloying Vanities of this World Which after they are once Tasted are sure to sit very Heavy and are never well digested by the Mind and Conscience and the Soul can never be at Ease till by Confession and other Acts of Repentance it has thrown 'em up again But the Vileness of thus submitting the Mind to drudge to our Senses and to study only to please our Lusts and Appetites will be more properly Expos'd when we come to shew you how far and in what sence you are to Renounce the sinful Lusts of the Flesh To summ up then what has been hitherto said concerning those Temptations and Means whereby at first Satan overthrew the whole Race of Mankind and drew it off from their Obedience to God to do Service to him and does still so successfully Overcome so many Whether it be by infusing into your Thoughts ill Apprehensions of God particularly of his Justice and Mercy or by diverting of your Minds by needless Curiosities from improving of your Souls in Divine Knowledge and especially as is his wont by stupifying of your sence of Divine Things by trying what is in sinful Pleasures Or whether he shall at any time Tempt you to commit what is sinful by the Inveiglements and Enticements of what you do entirely love and affect Or Lastly By proposing to your Lusts and Appetites what is pleasing to your Senses In which of these ways soever it is that he attempts you you must stoutly resist him And being he was not successful in these ways of Temptation against our First Parents alone but has been also Vers'd in the same for many Thousand Years ever since and therefore must be suppos'd to have grown very skilful in the Management of 'em It does therefore concern you with more than ordinary Diligence to Guard your selves against ' em And in so doing you will go a great way towards Renouncing that great Work of his his Tempting us to Sin concerning which what is farther to be spoke must be defer'd till the next Opportunity THE Eleventh Lecture First That I should Renounce the Devil and all his Works the Pomps and Vanity of this wicked World and all the sinful Lusts of the Flesh THAT Great Work of the Devil his Tempting of us to Sin being the Subject of our present Consideration and in order to the full Discovery of what so much concerns you having already shew'd you First By what Temptations and Means he overthrew the whole Race of Mankind and drew it off from Obedience to God to do Service to him In pursuance of the same important Subject concerning the Temptations of the Devil what they are and in what Ways and Methods he attempts our Ruine I am Secondly To discover to you What Temptations Satan levels against the Church of Christ such as he Levels against the Church of Christ the True Servants of God either utterly to destroy them from off the face of the Earth or at least-wise so to corrupt the Notions of God and Religion that by their very Christianity they may dishonour him Soon after that Satan had seduc'd the whole Race of Mankind into a most unnatural and ungrateful Rebellion against their Maker God recovers out of the Fallen Race of Mankind a Body of Men the Church to his service Listing 'em under Jesus Christ to Fight against Satan did God of his infinite Compassion to the woful State of Man in slavery to so base a Tyrant as the Devil appoint his own Son to be the Great Captain of our Salvation and gave him Power and Commission to List a Church Militant out of the rest of the World who being directed by his Word and assisted by his Holy Spirit should continually fight under his Banner and Conduct against this wicked Spirit the Devil and discharging their Parts well in this Warfare should in another World be eternally Rewarded with Honour by him But the Devil Enrag'd as a Bear bereav'd of her Whelps to have his Prey thus snatch'd away out of his Teeth The Devil Enrag'd to have his Prey snatcht out of his Teeth continually Attacks it by One mightier than he sets himself with the greatest Vigour to ruine this Body of Men who are Arm'd by God on purpose to destroy his Kingdom and does therefore both with the Fury of a Roaring Lion and with the Cunning of a Subtle Serpent continually attack it endeavouring all he can either utterly to Destroy the Church of Christ from off the Face of the Earth Or at least-wise so to corrupt its Notions of God and Religion that by Religion it self it might dishonour him And his first and chief Endeavours were His first and chief endeavours are utterly to destroy it from off the Face of the Earth utterly to destroy the Church of Christ from off the Face of the Earth Towards the understanding of which we must know that God the Father gave Commission to his Son to raise this Church Militant immediately after the Fall of Man and the War between Satan and the Church was Proclaim'd in these Words This he endeavour'd to do in the Person of Abel I will put Enmity between thee and the Woman and between her Seed and thy Seed it shall bruise thy Head and thou shalt bruise his Heel Gen. 3.15 And no sooner was this War Proclaim'd but this cruel Murderer the Devil for a Murderer he is said to have been from the Beginning thought to have cut it off at one Blow in the Person of

Obedience to 'em insomuch that God will reckon himself as has been before said in Justice and Faithfulness bound both upon the account of Christ's Purchase and his own Covenanted Promises to forgive us our Sins as you may see 1 Joh. 1.9 and will then own us to have a Right to the Tree of Life Rev. 22.14 We shall then I say have a Right and Title to the Blessings of the Covenant not by virtue of any outward Merit and Desert in our Performances but by virtue of the Divine Promises and Engagements to those who having solemnly entred into Covenant with him do take care faithfully to perform the Conditions of it So that this alone gives us mighty Assurance of the Divine Mercies that we are entitled thereunto by his having Covenanted them unto us as well as he is the more entitled to our Repentance Faith and Obedience because we have Covenanted to perform ' em But yet the more firmly to entitle as God to our Obedience so us to his Mercies because we never take our selves to be so well ensured of the performance of Articles as when we have 'em solemnly sealed to by both Parties God did therefore in compliance with our own Ways and Methods graciously please to Seal to his part the Promises and required us to do the like to our part the Conditions that he might be the better secured of our Covenanted Performances and we of his promised Mercies And then since he has condescended to ensure unto us not only by meer Covenant but moreover to seal unto us these unspeakable Benefits and we on the other side have also sacramentally sealed to the Counter-part of the Covenant the Conditions of it what can there be further thought of to entitle God to our Obedience or us to his Mercies And let this suffice as to the Sacrament or Solemnity whereby we entred into the Covenant of Grace which was by Baptism Baptism as you have seen is an Outward Rite or Sacrament of our Saviour's own Appointment for the solemn admitting of Persons into the Covenant of Grace instituted by Christ for the better Confirmation and Ensurance of its Terms the Promises on God's Part and the Conditions on ours it being thus mutually seal'd to betwixt God and us For agreeably to our Frame and Nature as I have told you which consists of Bodily Senses as well as Spiritual Faculties God has given us besides those most rational Terms and Conditions of the Covenant Recorded in the Gospel being such Promises as are becoming the Wisdom and Goodness of God to make and such Conditions as are highly befitting us to perform besides these he has appointed to us those Outward and Express Solemnities we call the Sacraments to seal these Things betwixt us And because that Baptism is a Rite most significative in it self and would be most acceptable to all sorts of People Jews and Gentiles he was therefore pleas'd to Adopt that to be the Solemnity of our Entrance into and Sealing the Covenant with him And this Covenant you have seen he would have thus mutually Sealed to betwixt Him and us that the Obligations to Performance might be the stronger upon us both to discharge each his Part of the Covenant And thus having spoke to the Sacrament or Solemnity whereby we enter into Covenant exprest in these Words In my Baptism the next thing to be shewed you is the great Obligation which lies upon us to Perform this our Covenant with God THE XXVI Lecture Quest Dost thou then think that thou art bound to Believe and to Do as they have promised for thee Answ Yes verily IN my Exposition of the Preliminary Questions and Answers of your Catechism having already given you a general Account first of the Nature of the Covenant of Grace and secondly of the Sacrament whereby you did solemnly enter into it I shall now think my self Happy if I can but convince you of the mighty Obligations that lie upon you accordingly to perform it And this the Words that I have now read do manifestly lead me to declare unto you for taking the Question and Answer both together they do plainly import this Doctrine viz. The vast Obligations upon us from the Mercies of the Covenant especially from our Vow in Baptism faithfully and conscientiously to discharge our Covenant with God The vast Obligations lieing upon us both from the Mercies of God and our Baptismal Vow to perform the Covenant of Grace And what those several Obligations are which arise from each of these Considerations I will with as much clearness and force of Reason as I can declare unto you And to begin with the Mercies of the Covenant there is not one Article of Grace or Favour on God's Part contain'd therein but if the Nature and Importance of 'em be truly considered they do each of 'em lay inviolable Obligations upon us faithfully and conscientiously to discharge that our Covenant The Obligations thereunto 1. as Members of Christs Church As first if we consider our selves as Members of Christ or Members of the Christian Church why there cannot be a greater Argument to keep us right in a regular orderly Conversation than that one Consideration should be For to be a Member of Christ's Church what else I pray you is it but to be one of those Disciples of our Saviour who by the Preaching of the Word and under the Solemnity and Bond of Sacraments are Called and Chosen out of the rest of the World to live another sort of Life than the World is accustomed to To this purpose it would be exceedingly well worth your while to consult and throughly consider 1 Pet. 2.9 10 11 12. where you have such Characters given of the Church of Christ and the Members of it as speak it to be a selected separated Body of Men who are Consecrated as it were to God's Service And such Inferences are drawn from thence concerning living at an excellent rate upon that very Score as speak the strongest Obligations upon all the Members of Christ's Church to approve themselves therefore upon that very account excellent Men. In the 8th Verse immediately foregoing the Apostle speaking of those who would not come into the Bosom and Pale of the Church he terms them a Disobedient People but coming in the 9 10 11 12. Verses to speak of the Members of the Church But ye says he are a Chosen Generation a Royal Priesthood an Holy Nation a Peculiar People that ye should shew forth the Praises of Him who hath called you out of Darkness into his marvellous Light Which in time past were not a People but are now the People of God which had not obtained Mercy but now have obtained Mercy 11 12. Verses Therefore dearly Beloved I beseech you as Strangers and Pilgrims abstain from Fleshly Lusts which war against the Soul having your Conversation honest among the Gentiles that whereas they speak against you as Evil-doers they may by your good Works which they

our evil and corrupt Affections and daily proceeding in all Vertue and Godliness of Living So that hereby it does appear that the Engagement of the Godfathers and Godmothers is in the first place that they will take care to have those Infants whom they have presented to Baptism Catechised in the Nature of that Covenant they have in the way of Proxy for them enter'd into which is the Importance of these Words Remember that it is your Parts and Duties to see that this Infant be taught so soon as he shall learn what a solemn Vow Promise and Profession he hath here made by you which is the proper Work of Catechising to teach ' em They are also for their farther Edification in this grand Matter of their Covenant to call upon 'em to hear Sermons which are a Method of Instruction design'd to improve 'em in all that necessary Knowledge the beginnings of which was laid by Catechising But especially their Care must be to have 'em throughly Catechised which lays the Foundation of Divine Knowledge in the Principles of Religion without which there can be no bottom for their Edification any other way Chiefly says the Exhortation ye shall provide that they may learn the Creed the Lord's Prayer and the Ten Commandments in the Vulgar Tongue and all other things which a Christian ought to know and believe to his Soul's Health which I say is the proper work of Catechising to teach ' em Secondly Secondly It is the Office of these Sureties to admonish the Child to live according to his Baptismal Engagements Having thus took care to have 'em well instructed by Catechising and Preaching in the Articles and Conditions of their Covenant their next Care must be to admonish and advise 'em seriously to apply themselves to live according to those Obligations laid upon 'em in their Covenant with God Youth of all Persons want good Monitors as being of themselves giddy and inconsiderate and too regardless of what does mainly concern 'em and their Sureties ought to make it a part of their Care peculiarly to admonish such as they have a band in bringing into the Covenant that they live according to it so it follows in that most Excellent Exhortation Ye shall take care that this Child may be vertuoulsy brought up to lead a Godly and a Christian Life c. Thirdly And then as for the last thing Thirdly And to take care that at Years of Discretion the Child should take his Vow upon himself before the Bishop in Confirmation wherein I said consists the Office of Sureties in Baptism viz. that they take care their Youth after all due Instruction in the Nature of the Covenant should personally for their own parts take it upon themselves before the Chief Minister of Christ the Bishop This you have deliver'd plainly and fully in the Charge given about Confirmation running in these Words Ye are to take care that this Child be brought to the Bishop to be confirmed by him so soon as he can say the Creed the Lord's Prayer and the Ten Commandments in the Vulgar Tongue So that if you will allow the Blessed Authors of our most Divine and Excellent Liturgy the Liberty to explain themselves The utmost Importance of these Words They did promise and vow three things in my Name is 1. an Engagement to Christ and his Church in the behalf of the Baptized Infant that so soon as he becomes capable he shall be instructed in his Covenant 2. that he shall be admonish'd to live according to it and 3. that he shall solemnly declare his sincere Intentions so to do III. The Reason the Church has to require Sureties III. And now let us see what reason the Church had to appoint Godfathers and Godmothers not only to represent but thus to engage for the Infant in Baptism It is for the better Order and Decency of the Administration that some should be the Mouth of the Child And truly as to the representing part there seems to me to be as great reason for that as that all things in Divine Administrations should be done decently and in order as the Apostle commands 1 Cor. 14.40 For why You are not again to be told that this whole Solemnity of Baptism is the transacting of a Covenant with God a Covenant wherein both Parties concerned are either personally themselves or by others as their Proxies to make mutual Engagements one to another to perform each his Part of the Covenant Now God who is the first and prime Party in this Covenant He true it is is sufficient for these things of himself and needs no other to engage for him yet in Compassion to our Infirmities who cannot bear the Majesty of God's Presence hence the Israelites after the Thunder and Lightning on Mount Sinai prayed he would speak to them by his Servant Moses lest they should dye Tho' God need not I say to treat with us by Proxy yet in conformity to our Weakness he hath substituted the Priest in his stead to assure us of the Promises his part of the Covenant And what then shall the Infant do who is so far uncapable of transacting personally the Covenant and engaging by himself to perform its Conditions that he does not nor cannot understand the Conditions of it what I say shall he do Why it is fit that he likewise by his Sureties as by Proxy should engage that he will do his part To this purpose saith a Father since for want of Age Children cannot believe with the Heart to Righteousness nor confess with the Mouth unto Salvation therefore others answer for 'em that the Sacrament may be admitted compleatly to ' em It would indeed seem to me a very odd and indecent and disorderly thing extremely unlike the usual way of transacting Covenants when one and He so great a Party concern'd as God should vouchsafe to make over by his Proxy the Minister of the Covenant express Assurances of Infinite Mercies the other Party a poor wretched Creature in whose Favour this is done should not have a Mouth either by himself or others to make an open and solemn Protestation of Acceptance of those Gracious Terms and of sincere Resolutions to perform his part A silence on his side wou'd look like a sullen ungrateful refusal of such Gracious Overtures and Terms of Mercy the most indecent and disorderly thing in the World The Administration would be extreamly indecent without a Proxy to Represent the Infant And indeed so much is the Honour of God and of the Church It is of concernment to the Church that Security be given that every one who is admitted a Member into it should live to the Reputation and Interest of it and of the Christian Religion concern'd that no Person be enter'd into the Profession of the Gospel who will not live answerably to it that it is highly fit it is extreamly requisite all possible Security shou'd be first given to God and his Church

should be dignify'd with the Title of the Kingdom of Heaven viz. Because it so directly tends to render Men so exactly like the Blessed Saints the Inhabitants of the Kingdom of Heaven 78 This is not the meaning of the Kingdom of Heaven here in the Catechism Secondly the Kingdom of Heaven signifies the Kingdom of Glory This a most noble and glorious State as being dignify'd with so honourable and glorious a Title as the Kingdom of Heaven 79 Hence all those things in this World wherein we conceive the highest Glory and Happiness are used as Emblems to set off our future Glory All which things come short of expressing it An Inheritor of the Kingdom of Heaven what An Heir is one who has a legal Right and Title to a Possession made over to him Such who have entred into the Covenant of Grace are in like manner Heirs of the Kingdom of Heaven as Children are Heirs 80 It is through Christ alone not owing to the Merit of our Obedience that we are Intitled to the Inheritance of the Kingdom of Heaven The vastness of a Christian's Priviledge in being made an Inheritor of the Kingdom of Heaven First it is in it self a very great Priviledge to have the invaluable Possessions of Heaven so setled and ensur'd as to have a legal Claim and Title thereto made over to one 81 Secondly if compar'd with what others enjoy it is a singular Priviledge The best amongst the moral Heathens could have but faint Hopes built upon uncertain Conjectures of a future Happiness And their Hopes being faint they could not in the strength thereof overcome great Temptations But the Christian's Hopes are sure and stedfast being founded upon the express Promises and Covenant of the God of Truth And being such there is no Temptation so alluring nor Suffering so great which he may not overcome 82 And whatever Certainty an honest Pagan might have that God would reward his Vertue yet depending only on the Uncovenanted Goodness of God he could promise himself no greater a measure of Happiness than what his good Deeds did of themselves deserve which must fall vastly short of what is meant by the Kingdom of Heaven But a Christian to whom God has Covenanted to make sure a Crown of Glory may without Presumption rely upon him to make good the same As Life and Immortality is brought to light through the Gospel so by Embracing it and by coming into Covenant alone Salvation can be expected And to a sincere Christian who is faithful in the Covenant the Heavenly Inheritance is certain 83 Asumm of those invaluable Priviledges made over to us on God's Part in the Covenant of Grace 84 LECT IX Whereof the First is to Renounce the Devil the World and the Flesh 85 The Devil his Names and their Importance He was once one of the highest Angels and is now that Arch-Rebel againsts God He with many Legions of Inferiour Angels whom he drew into the same Conspiracy is Banisht Heaven 86 Being acted with a Spirit of Revenge against God he afterwards withdrew Mankind to join with him in his Rebellion And prevailed so far till God's Authority was almost utterly Banished from amongst Men. Which occasion'd the Son of God's coming into the World to recover Mankind The Works of the Devil in general are First Sin By Sin God's Authority is thrown off which is the Devil 's constant work 87 Whoever therefore does wilfully sin does strike at God's Authority For which Reason no Sin ought to be the Subject of any Man's Mirth Some Sins more particularly the works of the Devil First Such as are directly level'd against God's Authority viz. Idolatry Sorcery Charming Witch-craft and Conjuring as also Resorting to such as use those unlawful Arts. 88 Secondly Such as express more of the Devil's Temper than others viz. Pride Envy 89 Malice Thirdly Such as are more the Practice of Satan himself than other Sins viz. Murder Apostacy Lying and especially Calumniating and Evil-speaking 90 To Renounce a Word of various Importance according to the Renounced 91 To Renounce the Devil in the sence of the Ancient Church was to disclaim his Usurp'd Dominion and Authority over Mankind To Renounce his Works of Sin was in their sence to abandon and forsake every Sin as being the proper Service of the Devil 92 The Words are to be understood in much the same Sence at this day Satan having his Kingdom still in the World and even amongst Christians and the Laws of Sin which are the Laws of his Kingdom being still obey'd by the greatest Part of Mankind This Renunciation for the most part the same with Repentance 93 The Devil and all his Works of Sin must be absolutely and entirely Renounced because There is nothing but Evil proceeds from Satan And Sin whether we consider it in its original Cause and Nature or in its sad Effects and Consequents is the utmost Evil. Therefore no one Sin nor any thing the least of Sin must willingly be comply'd with 94 And indeed if the Nature of Satan and of Sin and the horrid Consequence of yielding to either be well consider'd it is hardly possible not absolutely and entirely to Renounce both However this if we do not do we shall forfeit all Right and Title to those infinite Blessings held forth in the Covenant of Grace 95 LECT X. To Tempt is to make a tryal of a Person To Tempt a thing morally Good or Evil according to the End thereof To Tempt a Person in order to prove his Vertue or discover his Corruption consistent with the Justice Wisdom and Goodness of a Governour and thus God does Tempt Men. 97 First Thus he tempted Abraham to try his Faith and to reward him for it Secondly Hezekiah to discover his Hypocrisy and to humble him in the sight thereof These Temptations of God are therefore in no sence to be Renounced but to be Rejoyced in because for our Good 98 A Temptation to ensnare a Person into some Sin that so God's Anger may be kindled against him And the Person punished for this Transgression is wicked and malicious and so the Devil together with the World and the Flesh do tempt us The vast Concernment it is to us to know his Temptations The several Heads of Satan's Temptations 99 By what Methods he first tempted our first Parents and still does continue to tempt us First By insinuating into the Minds of Adam and Eve false Notions of God and an ill Opinion of their Maker and Governour particularly with respect to his Justice and Mercy 100 And by Entertaining false Notions of God's Justice and Mercy do Men generally Encourage themselves in Sin at this Day But all such Conceits of God are to be utterly renounced and cast out of our Thoughts as Diabolical Suggestions most destructive to our Souls Secondly By Corrupting the Understanding and Reason of Man by putting him upon curious Enquiries after useless Matters and upon making a sinful Experiment of the differences