Selected quad for the lemma: sin_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
sin_n	justification_n	life_n	remission_n	3,372	5	9.5028	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A93917	A learned and very usefull commentary upon the whole prophesie of Malachy, by that late Reverend, Godly and Learned Divine, Mr. Richard Stock, sometime Rector of Alhallowes Breadstreet, London, and now according to the originall copy left by him, published for the common good. Whereunto is added, An exercitation vpon the same prophesie of Malachy / by Samuel Torshell.	Stock, Richard, 1569?-1626.; Torshell, Samuel, 1604-1650. Exercitation upon the prophecie of Malachy.	1641 (1641)	Wing S5692A; ESTC R184700	652,388	677

body and everlasting life Bellarmines first answer is that he is not bound to defend him because he was not certainly and undoubtedly Pope For at that time there were three Popes Greg. 12. Benedict 13. and Iohn 23. and whether was could not be determined they all had many and singular portions A monstrous body which had three heads or no head He answeres secondly that he had no such errour imputed to him for certaine for saith he there were 53. Articles put up against him but all touching his life and manners and were proved by witnesse And other Articles were objected without witnesse whereof this was one Then was he found faultie in his manners in 53. crimes His third answer is that this was onely proved against him by the rumour of the common people who seeing Iohn of so dissolute a life begun to think and to speak it abroad that he beleeved neither eternall life nor the resurrection of the body for it had been unpossible he should have lived so if he had been perswaded of either Now if the head be thus the whole body is sure no better they so depending upon him as they do For to use Pintus similitude in Isaiah one of their owne against themselves As in a fish the head being corrupted and putrified the whole body is corrupted so saith he for a Common-wealth I for their Church when the principall is corrupted the other must needs be and he that would know whether the fish be corrupted must behold the head which is first corrupted So in this To admonish the Ministers Vse 2 that if they would be accepted of God they must walk faithfully before him and with him have their conversations sincere without hypocrisic upright without turning aside after the corruptions of the times They must be as starres fixed in the firmament that though the clouds be carried up and downe with the winde yet the starres being lift above that region should remain fixed seeing God hath taken them into his owne tabernacle of heaven as it were therefore is it not enough for them to exceed others in knowledge but they must also surpasse them in holinesse and pietie They have or ought to have more knowledge after that must be their piety and practise They come neerer to God they should be the liker to him They are the guides of the people they should go before them and be not like to our shepheards which drive their flockes before them but like the shepheards of the Jewes which went before their flocks not like him that said ite but to him who said venite how should they else prevaile with God for his people or with the people for their God when they make themselves unacceptable of God yea hatefull by their sinnes and the offering of God and his service loathsome and to be abhorred of the people for their corruptions The Lord forbad to Aaron and all his for ever strong drinke Levit. 10.9 forbidding by it all excesse which might make them any wayes unfit for the service of God The penalty is death how shall they escape Gods judgements who are drunkards deceivers swearers and such like This commendation given to the Priest may teach also a generall instruction to all Every one that walketh with God cleaveth to him in uprightnesse Doctrine and his worship is acceptable in him Some Papists would hence gather that a man may be perfect in this life For out of this will follow say they that the high Priest was perfect I answer that if either they knew themselves or knew the Scripture they would never gather any such thing for who knowes himsselfe and findes not himselfe at the best estate full of corruption as Saint Paul did Rom. 7. Or who knowes the Scripture and can be ignorant that he was never yet found since the fall of Adam which had not his taint and corruption Not the dearest Saint of God And for the particular Aaron the high Priest had his sin divers times For he yeelded to the people to make a Calfe Exod. 32. He ate not the offering according to the Law Levit. 10. And so transgressed that God threatned and performed it that he should not set foot in the land of Canaan Num. 6.2 If this be so then could he not be perfect But how is it true Object he had no iniquitie in his mouth and Jam. 3.2 for in many things we sin all if any man sin not in word he is a perfect man and able to bridle all the body It is true Answer if he sin not in his tongue at all but no such thing is here given unto him he is made sound in his Doctrine not in his whole speech A man may be perfect in his place but never in his person Again I say as there is a double justice so there is a double perfection one legis which hath all the points and parts of justice and all the perfections of all parts which some call Perfectio gradnum obedientiae which was never in any but Christ and Adam for a while Another Evangelii which hath all the parts of true justice but it wants the perfection of those parts As a childe hath all the parts of a true man in the infancie though it want perfection of stature and tallnesse and strength which is called of some Perfectio partium because all are there in truth which is nothing else but the conversion of a sinner with a purpose will and endevour with integritie and sincerity to please God according to all his commandments And thus was Iob just and perfect Noah Zachary and Elizabeth c. He walked with me in peace and equity Therefore in peace because in equity being upright in his conversation he had peace with God and peace with himselfe They who walke uprightly Doctrine and walke with God in equity and righteousnesse they and they onely walk in peace shall have true inward peace with God and themselves To this purpose is that of Isaiah 54.13 Psal 119.165 Joh. 14.27 and 10.33 Phil. 4.5.6.7 è contra Isai 57.20.21 Because he is justified Reason 1 that his uprightnesse and sanctification sheweth for it proceedeth from justification Bona opera sequuntur justificatum as fruit from the life of a tree Now he that is justified and he onely hath true inward peace Rom. 5.1 He that walkes not uprightly Reason 2 can have no assurance of his justification and so remission of his sinnes and so no peace and quietnesse A sinner is as a debter sued to judgement And did turn many away from iniquity The fourth thing commended in him that he laboured so diligently and so effectually and walked so carefully that many who were borne and bred in sinne and iniquity and continued in it as slaves of Satan were turned from it to God and godlinesse The Minister of God must and ought to turne many from sinne and Satan to God godlinesse that is he ought so to teach Doctrine so to

obsecro inimici dolos ut omnino à Deo averter is consulere non audet novit enim hoc grave admodum Christianis verùm artibus insidiosis aggreditur intelligit autem quemadmodum nos praesens tempus libenter recipimus omnisque actio humana in praesens contendit spectat Quamobrem hodiernum tempus nobis furatur astutè spem facit crastini postquam crastinum venerit rursus malus divisor sibi hodiernum crastinum verò Domino dari petit Basil Exhortatio ad Bapt. saith Basil exhort ad Bapt. who saith Serve me to day and God to morrow I beseech you be acquainted with the craft of the Enemy he dares not advise thee altogether and presently to forsake God for he knows Christians would not endure that but he deales craftily being a Serpent and subtle to beguile hee steales upon us for the present and puts off the next day for God and when that day comes still he puts it off to the next Therefore the Lord to meet with that comes thus calling upon us to day partly quia qui non est hodie cras minùs aptus erit Because hee that is unfit to day to morrow will be more unfit and partly for that this is the time lest judgment doe come upon us and we have no evasion for wee cannot tell what to morrow may bring forth Before God Though he deride these yet he directs others and teacheth them that in prayer they are before the Lord. They who pray Doctrine are before Gods face and in his preence If they who heare be as Cornelius said Hee and his company were Acts 10.33 before the Lord to heare one speake in his Name and him speaking mediately to them more when they speake immediately to himselfe Therefore was the Arke of Gods presence ever in the Temple before which they prayed and from which they received answer Psal 84.7 That he may have mercy upon us It is that they were commanded to pray for before and to require for the people In prayer men must not aske what they list Doctrine but that for which they have a commandment to aske and a promise to recive To reprove all those praiers Vse 1 those who frame their praiers not according to Gods will but their owne lusts and fancies whatsoever their vaine hearts desire that they utter before the Lord and make their requests unto him for it never regarding whether good or evill how agreeable or disagreeable to the word having their owne affections the rules of their prayers such prayers they would be ashamed to put up to men as they preferre to God making Christ a mediator for them if hee will doe it for them for things they would blush to desire the helpe of man in some praying as Saint Augustine who confesseth of himselfe that hee prayed to God to let him live a little longer in his sinnes so they in their corruptions desiring still meanes and opportunities to fulfill their lusts and desires Some aske temporall things simply as they Psal 78.18 who asked meate for their lust who importune the Lord to prosper their journey endeavour for honours as Balaam be the means what may be who have their prayers sometimes in mercy denyed as Jam. 4.3 and sometimes in wrath granted to them as Psal 79.29 30 31. Mercy That is be gracious and favourable unto us and lift up his gracious countenance upon us In prayer men ought especially to pray for Gods favour Doctr. the chiefest thing they ought to desire is his mercy and loving kindnesse 2 Cor. 7.14 this is called seeking Gods face Because this is the fountain from whence all things else come Reas 1 all good things we receive for Rom. 8.32 He who spared not his owne sonne but gave him for us all to death how shall he not with him give us all things also And the cause of that was his favor and love Joh. 3.16 For God so loved the world that he hath given his only begotten sonne that whosoever beleeveth in him should not perish but have everlasting life Because no temporall blessing asked neverso earnestly Reas 2 nay though it be sought with teares as Esan his blessing can be obtained till a man have his sinnes forgiven Hence Math. 6.11 12. the petitions are joyned with a copula as inseparable This reproveth their folly and error Vse 1 who pray more for the things of this life then for the favor of God or remission of their sinnes 2 Chron. 7.14 To teach us to pray for temporall things Vse 2 but specially Gods favor and the remission of our sinnes For us Both Prophet and People he would bee prayed for as well as the people acknowledging as it seemeth those things in himselfe which he reproved in them the better to affect them No man is so excellent in the Church of God Doctrine so indued or abounding with gifts and graces that needeth not the prayers of the rest This the Prophet sheweth that he exempteth not himselfe but would be prayed for as others So Hosea 14. sure including himselfe This our Saviour Christ shewed when teaching his Church in the person of his disciples to pray hee taught them to pray one for another and taught them they had need of the prayers one of another Math. 6. This is shewed by Saint Pauls earnest request unto them Rom. chap. 15.30 repeated to the Corinthians 2 Cor. 1.7 so Col. 4.3 2 Thes 3.1 and for the Saints Ephes 6.18 Because his excellency excludeth him not from the communion of Saints Reas 1 as the excellency beauty or proportion of any part doth not exclude it from the fellowship of other members Now one part of this communion is prayer one for another Because his excellency is imperfect Reas 2 for here all things are but in part 1 Cor. 13.9 Therefore he hath need of prayers as his owne so others many prevailing more with God then one Because the excellency and goodnesse a man hath is as Basil exhort ad Bapt. brings in some making the objection The saurus servatu difficilis Reas 3 a treasure hard to be kept Therefore as he said Opus est vigilia wee had need to be more watchfull and he adviseth to take three adjutors Orationem Jejunium Psalmodiam Prayer Fasting and singing Psalmes Now as for keeping of treasures a man will use other meanes and helpes and all little enough so in this should he be carefull This reproveth those who think they have no need of the prayers of others Vse 1 but can pray well enough for themselves their owne private prayer is sufficient they need not the prayers of others or the publique congregations as some men thinke they have no need of publique teaching they can instruct themselves well enough with reading of good books at home so for prayer they can inrich themselves of themselves and need not the helpes of others If any thinke I wrong men in judging thus of them I answer no because I judge

endure the words of reproofe from the mouth of the Minister if he deale more sharply with their sinnes covetousnesse usury envy quarrellings pride and vanities and particularly for the sinne in hand for their cold prayers carelesse hearing sleepy attending negligent or late comming the omission and remission of their care publiquely but specially privately in the worship and service of God they must not grudge and goe away discontented saying He knowes me well he might well have forborne this I have been an old professor and an old disciple hast thou then is thy sinne the greater and God is more displeased with it and so ought his Ministers lesse to spare thee and thou the rather to take it from them As Moses said See Israel will not heare then how will Pharaoh I wonder not many times to see common Christians and carnall men to distaste reproofes when I find professors so disliking them but as their sinnes are the greater sinne compared with sinne their reproofes should be the sharper as in diseases To teach every man to consider of his profession which he makes of Gods service and feare Vse 3 and thereby to know he is more bound to procure Gods name to be honored and in himselfe and his to be most carefull for his service and worship His profession requireth he be more devout in prayer more watchfull and diligent in hearing and in every duty whereby God is immediately worshipped and glorified more carefull This his profession requires of him which if he performe not he must know that as every sinne he committeth is more hainous so his carelessenes and corruption in the service of God is much more intolerable and hainous in the sight of God then his who makes no profession Thou seest a man who is but a state-Christian and professor withdraw himselfe and be negligent to come to the place of Gods worship thou dislikest and yet occasion of friends pleasure or profit will sometime draw thee aside from it thy sinne is farre more intolerable then his So of sleeping thy nod is worse then his halfe houres nap for to thee Christ saith as to Peter Marke 14.37 Ideo Ethnicis deteriores sumus quia meliores esse debemus quia pugnamus professionem nostram moribus nostris nec sumus id quod profitemur Salv. sleepest thou and so in every duty of Gods worship We are then farre worse then Ethnicks because we ought to be better because our profession and manners are repugnant and we are not what we professe our selves to be Then better not professe at all Object Answ Admit thy conceit but what is gained by it Paul saith Rom. 2.12 For as many as have sinned with out the law shall perish also without the law and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law and Christ Luke 12.47 48. That servant that knew his Masters will and prepared not himselfe neither did according to his will shal be beaten with many stripes but he that knew it not and yet did commit things worthy of stripes shal be beaten with few stipes for unto whomsoever much is given of him shal be much required and to whom men commit much the more of him will they aske There was one had two sonnes Math. 21.28 he that said he would not and did was commendable doe thou like and it shal be well with thee but otherwise thy not profession shall also condemn thee and if it be lesse yet if thou perish thou hast gained little The best is to professe and also perform with all care the service of God then thou shalt be blessed in thy deed Have polluted it The act of these persons the Israelites the polluting and corrupting of the worship of God And here is the cause why God will take his worship and word from them they polluted and corrupted it and made no account of it The prophaning of Gods name Doctrine that is the corrupting and contemning of Gods word and worship is that which procures God to take it away and remove it from a people and land as here and Isaiah 29.10 ad 14. Jer. 7.13 14. Therefore now because ye have done all these workes saith the Lord and I rose up early and spake unto you but when I spake yee would not heare mee neither when I called would yee answer Therefore will I doe unto this house whereupon my name is called wherein also yee trust even unto the place that I gave unto you and your fathers as I have done unto Shilo This teacheth us to behold Gods just judgment upon the Church of Rome Vse 1 which once was a famous light and a flourishing Church but it grew both to contemn the word of God and to corrupt his worship It preferred the Church above it yea the Pope holding he might dispence with the word of God so Gratian speciall the new Testament so Panormitan the Church can make morall precepts mutable so Gratian with infinite such like The worship it hath corrupted by unwritten and lying traditions by such a burden of ceremonies as never any superstition had by the precepts of men and such like That God hath dealt justly he hath taken from them his word and left them in palpable darknes more then Aegypt 2 Thessal 2.11 And now are they as a man out of his way and yet thinks he is right the further he goes the more he is out of his way and no hope of returning because he perswadeth himselfe he is in the right way This may make us feare that the day of the mourning for the Gospell is not farre Vse 2 at least in Gods justice and his dealing with others because though corruption hath not seased upon his worship yet contempt of the word is every where The Church and the chiefe in it the Magistrates are here admonished Vse 3 if they desire that the Gospell and his worship should abide amongst us that they take heed it be not corrupted nor contemned which is the very life and breath of the Church the vitall spirits which being corrupted bring death to the whole they ought to make lawes against error and heresie superstition other corruptions and severely to execute them against whosoever dare privately or publiquely secretly or openly sowe any cockle with the pure wheat of Gods word and labor to keep it in as much sincerity and simplicity as may bee labouring to keep the fire upon the Lords Altar the Lampes burning in the Temple and the Levites unforsaken labouring for the mainteynance of the faith which was given unto the Saints Jude verse 3. correcting and punishing all contemners of it who or howsoever lest God doe remove it from us To teach every man as he desireth there should be peace and truth in his dayes so to repent of his corrupting Vse 4 polluting or contemning of this whether before or since his calling and now to labor for his part to keep it in integrity and purity to have it

if he fall not into sinne by it keeping the injury boiling in his stomacke or falling to revenge impatiently or blaspheme or such like if he do then is he hurt and greatly not of another but of himselfe Example Iob and Paul These and the like should perswade us to patience and not to resist And why should such things be hard If I let him alone he will be worse Hast thou more care of him then of thy selfe But are not these words of corruption and pride who establish things against God Admit he be hurt yet God ought to be obeyed Neither ought we to make lawes against that which God hath ratified but it will hurt neither thee nor him for Prov. 15.1 A soft answer putteth away wrath but grievous words stirre up anger And if thou wouldest do thy selfe and him good the more he is in choler and heat the more yeeld thou for this heat had need of the greater remedy And the more reproaches there are there is the more need of patience and gentlenesse And when the feaver is hottest there is most need of cooling so when a man is angriest of yeelding But this will be a reproach and there is no manhood in it Nay it is no reproach but compassion and humanity Finally in all these things thou shalt finde that true of Abigail to David 1 Sam. 25.31 Then shall it be no griefe unto thee nor offence of minde unto my Lord that he hath not shed bloud causelesse nor that my Lord hath not revenged himselfe And when the Lord shall have dealt wel with my Lord remember thine hand-maid And of him touching her verse 32.33 Then David said to Abigail Blessed be the Lord God of Israel which sent thee this day to meet me And blessed be thy counsell and blessed be thou which hast kept me this day from comming to shed blood and that mine hand hath not saved me Because the offering is no more regarded Or more plainly So that I will no more regard your offerings The second reason condemning Polygamy because it makes their worship and service unacceptable to God while the injuries they did to their wives and their sighes and teares came before him and were in his ears as the bloud of Abel calling rather for vengeance and a curse then a blessing Now a generall from this is this They who come to performe any service to God Doctrine 1 and would have it accepted must be holy and uncorrupt and not uncleane and polluted Vide Malach. 1.6.7 Further a more speciall thing hence may we observe They who grieve oppresse and injury others whatsoever he be Doctrine 2 and they to him whether he be Husband or Magistrate or Master whether rich or his Landlord or howsoever shall finde that their prayers and worship of God shall not be accepted nor finde any place or favour with God So here and Isaiah 1.15 and 58.3.4 Wherefore have we fasted and thou seest it not we have punished our selves and thou regardest it not Behold in the day of your fast you will seeke your will and require all your debts Behold ye fast to strife and debate and to smite with the fist of wickednesse yee shall not fast as yee do to day to make your voyce to be heard above To this purpose may that be applied Prov. 27.13 He that stoppeth his eare at the crying of the poore shall also cry and not be heard And that may shadow it Luke 16.24 Old Isaac accepted the prayers of Iacob and his voyce the better because of his rough and hairy hands but with our Isaac it is cleane contrarie Because they are in their sins Reason 1 and that which is more they are not capable of remission of sins seeing Christ hath said Mat. 6.15 But if ye doe not forgive men their trespasses no more will your father for give you your trespasses For if they who remit not other mens injuries against the mare uncapable what are they who doe injure others and oppresse and wrong them Nay if they had had remission yet the guilt of them would returne Rediunt dimiss a peccata ubi fraterna charitas non est As the parable sheweth Matthew 18.34 Now where a mans sins are there his prayers must needs be unaccepted Because the cryes of those who are oppressed and injured are in his eares James 5.4 speaks of one kinde Reason 2 And though his ears are not subject to any prejudice yet when they are justly possessed with injustice and injury they stop them against the prayers of the oppressour The judgements of God are upon us and that justly Vse because of these grievances oppressions and injuries that are amongst us we pray to have them removed we prevaile not but it increaseth and spreadeth is it any ma rvaile how should our prayers finde favor in his eares when the cryes of the oppressed and injured have filled them for these grievances are amongst us then no marvaile if they are come upon us and that God is come to revenge them and that neither their prayers nor the prayers of his Ministers can prevaile James 5.4 VERS XIV Yet ye say wherein because the Lord hath been witnesse betweene thee and the wife of thy youth against whom thou hast transgressed yet she is thy companion and the wife of thy covenant YET ye say wherein The second thing by which the Prophet condemneth this sinne of poligamy is that it is against Gods ordinance which is set downe in this verse and that which followes part of it The sinne is that which is against the ordinance and institution of God that ought not to be done such is this Now it is against his institution because it is against that covenant whereof hee is both Author and witnesse The way of setting down this is by way of question and answer from the people to them from God depending upon the former The Lord had told them it made their prayers to be rejected They aske why it should be so yet ye say wherin or wherfore for what cause or what reason there was why their offerings should be rejected and why he would not receive their prayers As men that would not acknowledge that there was any sin or fault in them but put him to his proofe how he would make it good and shew them wherein they had offended not willing to confesse unlesse he can wrest it from them Because the Lord hath beene witnesse The Lords answer shewing directly that there was cause because they had beene injurious not onely against their wives but against God who was witnesse of the Covenant they made betwixt themselves which Covenant as it was Gods ordained by him that they should be one flesh so was it made he being present called upon by him as witnesse when he bound himselfe to take her for his onely wife So that witnesse betweene thee and thy wife is witnesse of that Covenant that is passed betwixt thee and thy wife and

whom you shall feare feare him which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell yea I say unto you him fear Now where this feare is wanting no marvaile if they fall either for desire or pleasure into many and strange sinnes This may teach us what to expect from men who want the feare of the Lord They will sinne for a peece of bread Vse 1 a small matter of pleasure or profit a little feare if they have the occasion and opportunity will draw them to any thing for take away the bankes from the sea and the bridle from the horse whither will not that flow and whereinto will not he breake such and so unruly is the corruption of man if it have not this banke and this bridle to keepe it from outrage murther adultery perjury oppression and injustice or any sinne will be nothing in their hands What will they not dare to doe If Kings command they will murther innocents not as the Midwives If Queenes enjoine they will accuse judge condemne and execute the guiltlesse as those wicked Judges 1 Kings 21. did innocent Naboath upon Iezebels letters We learne what to judge of men Vse 2 whom we see living either in these sinnes or any other the like they are men destitute of the feare of God even a servile feare for this will prove it vide Cap. 1.6 first effect of feare That we may be free from these sins Vse 3 let us labour for this feare vide ibid. Saith the Lord of hoasts This is added for confirmation that none should promise to themselves safety for any outward respects as if he could not punish them vide Cap. 1.4 VERS VI. For J am the Lord I change not and ye sons of Iaakob are not consumed FOR I am the Lord I change not This some take as a reason to confirme the former judgement threatned that as he was the Lord of hoasts able to doe all what he would so is he in himselfe and in his decrees immutable as he cannot change no more can they be changed Quod est 9. Be ye well assured of this that as I am Lord and Jehovah eternall and without change so are all my judgements and whatsoever I have spoken that know you they shal come to passe in their time and not one thing shal come to the ground howsoever they are not so speedily as you thinke executed yet they shall for they cannot but be accomplished And ye sonnes of Iaakob And that you are not consumed and destroyed already for these sinnes doe not thinke me mutable or your selves without merit that you should be spared but this is meerely from my mercy and love and long suffering I have not dealt with you according to your sinnes God is immutable Doctrine 1 and without change both in himselfe and his nature Jam. 1.17 He is immutable in his will and his decrees Doctrine 2 And ye sonnes of Iaakob are not consumed I change not therefore are you not consumed for being in my selfe mercifull and long suffering yea mercy and patience it selfe I have spared you when you deserved long since to have beene confounded and destroyed by my judgements and this by resemblance may we interpret out of Lam. 3.22 It is the Lords mercies that we are not consumed because his compassions faile not That men escape destruction Doctrine and are not consumed with Gods judgements for their sinnes it is onely the mercy and goodnesse of God So much is here And that Lam. 3.22 Gen. 19.19 2 Sam. 24.14 2 Chron. 30.9 Therefore is that Isaiah 30.19 and 54.7 8. and Matth. 15.22 and 20.30 God hath two feet whereby he walketh towards men so hath he two hands whereby he handleth or dealeth with men mercy and justice and these are both infinite What City upheld when an infinite hand will cast downe nothing but an infinite hand and power Because sinne deserving Gods anger Reason 1 which anger is as God himselfe infinite cannot be satisfied nor appeased by any that is no more then a finite creature or a finite thing for this cannot ballance with that but onely his infinite mercy with his infinite wrath And this Lam. 3.22 his great mercies are infinite for measure and continuance i. Such are our sinnes that if he should deale righteously with us we miserable wretches had beene ten thousand times utterly undone but we are preserved in the middest of our distresses Ergo Not from us but his infinite mercy Isaiah 1.9 Except the Lord of hoastes had restored unto us a small remnant we should have beene as Sodom and should have beene like unto Gomorrah Because without the pardon of those sinnes the wrath cannot be avoided nor destruction escaped Reason 2 seeing God will not justifie the wicked Now pardon of sinne is onely from the mercy of God Luk. 1.77.78 Ps 32.1 Al sin is against God Ps 51.4 Tibi soli cu● soli reddenda est ratie de peccate qui solus es sine peccate Ruff. He onely can pardon sinne against whom onely it is Now he pardoneth sinnes in mercy and so David prayeth there for mercy Gratiae tuae deputo misericordiae quod peccata mea tanquaem glaciem solvisti gratiae tuae deputo quaecunque non feci mals August confess 7.2 cap 7. This will confute the doctrine of Popery Vse 1 who hold by their workes and satisfactions to have if not remission of great sinnes yet of veniall or if not of sinne yet deliverance from the punishment wherein they are the flat enemies of the mercy of God and rob him of his honour to give it to themselves as if finite workes and satisfactions could deliver from infinite wrath But when they see this will not hold water then they flye to this that it is onely from temporall punishments and the fire of purgatory but first for this that it is but a new coyned shift I manifest from their prayers for the dead whereby they thought to bring them remission of sinne Breviar secund usum Sarum in vigil mortuorum O God of the faithfull the maker and redeemer of all men give to the soules of all the faithfull deceased remission of all their sins that by godly prayers they may obtaine the pardon which they alwaies desired through Christ our Lord. And againe Lord we beseech thee let the prayers of thy humble servants be helpfull to the soules of al the faithful deceased that thou mayest both relieve them from all their sinnes and make them partakers of thy redemption who livest c. Now hence I reason that if by their prayers they would helpe the faithfull whom they presumed to be free from purgatory to bring them remission of sinne can they make us believe that they intend onely deliverance from the paines of purgatory for such as are there and not from the guilt of sinne by their sacrifices and masses Againe it is manifestly false that the sinne pardoned yet the punishment should remaine yea it is against the

spoken against him Plumea verba plumbea pondera windy words if they be wicked words lye as a dead weight on thy soule Take heed of lifting up his name take heede of an oath for it bringeth an heavy burthen But it is our incouragement I say that God rewards us for good words as well as for our deeds though they seeme to be but little worth they are arguments of a sanctified heart and of the feare of God as it is Matth. 12.34.35 O generation of vipers how can you speake good things when ye are evill for of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth good things and an evill man out of an evill treasure bringeth forth evill things And a booke of remembrance was written before him That is he keepes the remembrance of the things he knowes The Lord as he seeth and knoweth all things so he remembreth them Doctrine as he hath knowledge without ignorance of any thing so he hath remembrance without oblivion of the same things good or evill Therefore is he here said to have a booke because things are more certainely and perpetually kept in it then left to remembrance of man Hence is that Amos 8.7 The Lord hath sworne by the excellency of Iaakob surely I will never forget any of their workes Heb. 6.10 For God is not unrighteous that he should forget your worke and labour of love which ye shewed toward his name in that ye have ministred unto the Saints and yet minister Psal 139.2 Jer. 44.21 Psal 56.8 Thou hast counted my wandrings put my teares into thy bottell are they not in thy register Dan. 7.10 Revel 20.12 A similitude taken from Kings who have things written for memory Ester 6.1 though God need not Because of his eternall and infinite apprehension Reason 1 being as able to apprehend things and keepe them done thousand yeares since as but yesterday as man is able to remember things done but yesterday as that Psal 90.4 2 Pet. 3.8 Because he is absolutely perfect Reason 2 without either sinne or imperfection therefore without oblivion that in many things is sinne and in any thing imperfection even as ignorance of things necessary to be knowne and which may be knowne is sinne of things not necessary is imperfection and infirmity though without sin Isaiah 43.25 Object I even I am he that putteth away thine iniquities for mine owne sake and will not remember thy sinnes Then God doth forget and there is oblivion in him Gods forgetting of sinne Answer is like his not seeing of sinne Num. 23.21 which is not that he seeth not the act and thing done but hee seeth it not to impute it to them in that respect hee is as though he saw it not So he forgetteth not the act and the thing done but not to impute it to him or to punish him for it which is in effect to forget it As his remembrance is taken for the effect of his remembrance As Isaiah 38.3.9 I pray thee let me have the effect and feeling of thy remembrance let me know by experience thou dost remember me So his forgetfulnesse or forgetting is taken for the effect and feeling of it They should finde he had as it were forgotten To let us see the folly of wicked men Vse 1 as in committing sinne in secret and darke thinking the Lord cannot or doth not see so in seeking to cover it committed and labour to bring an oblivion of it who though the corruption cleave to them as Jer. 17.1 The sinne of Judah is written with a pen of Iron and with the point of a Diamond and graven upon the table of their heart and upon the hornes of your Altars Yet they by all meanes labour to forget it and if they have escaped and prospered with it for a month or two or a yeare or two c. they thinke also God hath forgotten it But doe they not deceive themselves when with God is no oblivion no forgetfulnesse What benefit can they then get by this even as a malefactor that hath committed some haynous offence whom the Magistrate lets alone to see what he will doe whether he will seeke his pardon or no and he goes about to corrupt or remove all that should give evidence against him when it is in the power of the Judge both to be witnesse and Judge and proceed of his owne knowledge and out of his owne memory of the act and who also cannot forget So here What got the sonnes of Iaakob by smothering their treachery to their father and brother It may terrifie the wicked that every evill word is registred Matth. 12. and though God should not the Divell would keepe them in mind to accuse them Rev. 12. yea and their owne consciences Gods register booke To instruct every man to keep his bookes of account well Vse 2 and to remember all his debts and his sinnes seeing they shall be remembred though he would forget them or could when as his remembrance of them to humble himselfe and to get his pardon makes God to forget them Saint Chrysostome would have a man not to forget his sinnnes after pardon * Non ut teipsum c. Chryso ho. 12. ad popu Antioch Not to consume thy selfe with the thought of them but to teach thy soule not to grow wanton nor to fall into the same sinnes againe But most necessary before that he may have God to forget them who as he justifies him that condemnes himselfe pardons him that accuseth himselfe so he forgets his sinnes who remembers them himselfe in that forgetfulnesse is incident to him And as Saint Ambrose * Novit omnia Deus sed c. Ambrose God God knowes all things yet he expects thy confession not that he may punish but pardon thee So the Lord remembers all yet he expecteth the sinner should remember him of them not that he might punish them but pardon them Comfort for men as to doe well because the Lord seeth Vse 3 so though they doe not see their rewards and finde but a meane recompence among men as if all their labour were forgot yet to hold on and continue and not to faint for the Lord cannot forget and as he in sinne he remembring of it cannot but punish it in time so in good he cannot but reward it And as the way to have remission of sinnes and to have them forgotten is to remember them so the way to have reward of our workes is to forget them As Saint Paul Phil. 3.13.14 For them that feared the Lord. Some thinke the Lord tooke speciall notice therefore of it because it was so rare and commendable a thing for any to hold his feare faith and a good conscience in the midst of that wicked and froward people It is a thing most commendable Doctrine for men to be upright in the midst of a wicked and froward people and not to be carried with the