Selected quad for the lemma: act_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
act_n	assurance_n	faith_n	justify_v	2,314	5	9.2915	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A37263	Truth and innocency vindicated against falshood & malice exprest in a late virulent pamphlet intituled, (A true account of a most horrid and dismal plague began at Rothwell, &c.) without printer's licenser's or author's name thereunto) : together with an account of the Kettering visitation / by R. Davis ... ; to which is added, Mr. Rob. Betson's answer to so much as concerns him in the said libel.	Davis, Richard, 1658-1714.; Betson, Robert. Answer to some part of that pamphlet called, A plain and just account of a plague being at Rothwell.	1692 (1692)	Wing D435; ESTC R10047	98,027	94

like the Merchant's Ship fetcheth its Goods from far even from Jesus at the Right-Hand of the Father We are apter to tabernacle within than to go out of Self for a Supply continually which is swimming against Wind and Tide going contrary to Sence and Humane Wisdom it is that that Flesh and Blood knoweth not Lastly Since Marks and Signs shine only in the Light of Faith and Faith shineth not but when it looketh directly to its Object the Grace that is in Christ Jesus then so to Examine our Faith when we cease to Act Faith is as if One should put out a Candle to see whether it burneth or not or to shut close the Doors and Windows to see whether the Room be light This I have preached at Willingham or to this effect though the Witnesses have made a woful Blunder about it Sanctification is no Evidence of Justification Faith and its Effects have a great share in Gospel-Holiness and sure they are Signs of Justification But such Holiness as they plead for is no Holiness and therefore no Evidence of Justification Animadversions on the foregoing Head IT is Remarkable Accusations under this Head tend to support these Two following Principles 1. That Divine Illumination is not of the Essence of Saving-Faith 2. To over-turn the Faith of Assurance or to set up one that 's not known in the Scripture and that can be of no use to Believers But I shall prove that Divine Illumination is of the Essence of Saving-Faith For 1st None can believe on what they know not None can see a need of Christ nor fly unto him but they whose Eyes have been opened by the Spirit to see the Beauty Excellency and Necessity of Christ Jesus Therefore Faith is not a blind Consent to the Will only 2dly As the Spirit does work in this Faith he is called the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation in the knowledge of him that is Christ Eph. 1. 17. His Office is to open and enlighten the Eyes of the Understanding ver 18. As also to take the things of Christ and shew unto the Soul Joh. 16. 14. And to make known unto Believers the Mystery of his Will Eph. 1. 9. Having made known unto us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure which he hath purchased to himself 3dly Faith it self is called a Revelation of Christ in the Soul Gal. 1. 15 16. But when it pleased God to separate me from my mother's womb and called me by his Grace ver 16. To reveal his Son in me is also called the Assurance of Understanding Col. 2. 2. That their hearts may be comforted being knit together in love and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding to the acknowledgment of the mystery of God and of the Father and of Christ I might add more Reasons but I judge these sufficient But observe I do not make Faith to be only a Divine Natural Illumination or Understanding but also an Act of the Will divinely perswaded accepting of and leaning on Christ As to the Second thing I must confess the new coin'd Faith of Assurance I do not understand to wie That it is when a Christian can find such and such Marks in himself and these in sincerity then he may be assured of his Salvation and this without any mention made of looking to Christ or leaning on him in the very Act of Assurance But I find no Foot steps of such a Faith in the Scripture These are my Arguments against it Arg. 1. The Object of saving-Saving-Faith is Christ once Crucified now at the Father's Right-Hand But this sort of Faith of Assurance sets up a Christ within a Quaker's Christ as the Object of Faith Arg. 2. If it be granted that this Faith of Assurance takes its Grounds and Denomination from as Reflect Act of Faith yet a Reflect Act of Faith is but a Repercussion upon the Conscience of that Light that shines in a direct Act of Faith so that there can be no true Marks and Signs without Faith in that moment exercis'd He that doth truth cometh to the light that his deeds may be made manifest that they are wrought of God Joh. 3. 21. So then they that bid People try their Faith by looking within and not bidding them at that time look to Christ and that first put them in my Judgment upon an impossible Test Arg. 3. As there can be no real Marks and Signs without Faith exercis'd upon the Object so to put People upon examining the Sincerity of their supposed Marks and Signs is yet to make the Matter ten times more difficult and perplexing to the Soul Gospel-Sincerity I find in Scripture to be this viz. To mix nothing with Christ and his Righteousness in our Justification 〈◊〉 and to have right Principles Means Aims and Ends in carrying of Sanctification 1 Pet. 2. 4 5. comp together Arg. 4. They that would examine their Faith whether it be sincere by Marks and Signs without Faith in the Exercise must have a Second Mark to know the First a Third to prove the Second and a Fourth to prove the Third and so ad infinitum Hence it is that poor Souls are quite be wilder'd to bring the Matter to a determinate issue so that despairing of making their Calling and Election sure they content themselves with lazy faint and languid Hopes which have no good bottom or else what is worst of all they embrace a Cloud instead of this Assurance I shall humbly offer my Judgment of Faith of Assurance as I find it in Scripture 1. I do not deny but that when we sensibly feel our inward Grace shining in the Light of Faith we may from thence together with the Evidence of Faith inferr the Certainty of our Believing as when we sensibly perceive our Love to Christ flowing from our Faith in him we may thence conclude we have the Faith of God's Elect and so of other Graces But perhaps this is but seldom the frame of a Believer's Spirit and yet he ought when he walks in the dark to hold fast his Confidence Therefore there must needs be that that is true Assurance though not so high and so sensible as this And 1st I find in Scripture it is a strong and constant reliance upon the Ability and Faithfulness of Christ as to the Grace promised This you have instanced in Abraham's Faith Rom. 4. 20 21. He stagger'd not at the promises of God through unbelief but was strong in faith giving glory to God And in ver 21. And was fully perswaded that what he had promised he was also able to perform So also instanced in the Faith of Sarah Heb. 11. 11. Through faith also Sarah her self received strength to conceive seed and was delivered of a child when she was past age because she judged him faithful that had promised So therefore in both these Instances you may see that this their Assurance was grounded upon the Ability and Faithfulness of the Promiser It is

to the whole revealed Mind and Will of God in his Word and upon his own Authority but as it is a saving Grace it is a work of the Spirit whereby a Sinner doth see and behold Christ in all his Excellencies and is persuaded and enabled to look to him to go forth from Sin and Self to lay hold of Christ and to rest and relie on Christ and his Righteousness for Acceptance with God and Eternal Salvation XVI Of Effectual Calling Effectual Calling is the powerful Voice of the Son of God by his Spirit accompanying his Word whereby a Sinner is enabled to accept of Christ upon his own Terms according to the Promise of the Gospel therefore it relates to Faith XVII Of Assurance Assurance is not a bare conjectural and probable Persuasion but the infallible certainty of Faith founded upon the Testimony of the Spirit of Adoption witnessing with our Spirits that we are the Children of God altho many Believers have not attained to this Assurance yet it is the Duty of all to seek after it and those that have attained to it may have it divers ways shaken and diminish'd through Sin and Temptations XVIII Of Perseverance The Perseverance of the Saints depends not upon their own Free Will or inherent Grace already received but upon the Immutability of the Love of God in the Decree of Election the Efsicay and Merit of the Intercession of Christ The Nature of the Covenant of Grace and the abiding of the Spirit of God Altho true Believers cannot fall finally and totally yet they may fall into grievous Sins and may continue in them for a while whereby they grieve the Spirit lessen their Comforts wound their Consciences scandalise others and do come under the Rebuke of God's fatherly Corrections for their Recovery and Amendment XIX Of Adoption Adoption is an act of the free Grace of God in and for his only Son Jesus Christ whereby all those that are justified are received into the number of his Children have his Name put upon them the Spirit of his Son given unto them are under his fatherly Care and Correction admitted to all the Liberties and Privileges of the Sons of God made Heirs of all the Promises and Fellow-heirs with Christ in Glory XX. Of Sanctification Sanctification is the Work of God's Grace whereby they whom God has before the Foundation of the World chosen to be Holy are in time through the powerful Operation of the Spirit applying the Death and Resurrection of Christ unto them renew'd in their whole Man after the Image of God having the Seeds of Repentance and of all other saving Graces put into their Hearts and those Graces so stirred up increased and strengthned as that they more and more dye unto Sin and rise up unto Newness of Life in the lively Actings and Exercises of Faith XXI Of Repentance True Gospel Repentance is a saving Grace wrought by the Spirit of God whereby we are enabled thorough believing on the Lord Jesus Christ for Life and Salvation to turn from Sin unto God XXII Preparatory Works Works done before Faith however good in themselves yet are vain fruitless sinful and not pleasing to God and therefore can't make us any ways meet for the receiving of Grace XXIII Of Good Works Good Works are then only Good when they are the Fruits of Faith and they ought to be carefully maintain'd by Believers not that they may thereby be justified or continued in a justified State but that they may glorifie God and answer the Ends of their Redemption by Jesus Christ XXIV Of the Moral Law The Moral Law holds the Elect during their Unregeneracy under its condemning Force 'till they believe and is unto all Believers a Rule for Obedience which they are enabled to conform unto by the Power of God's Grace XXV Of the State of Believers after Death and their Resurrection The Souls of Believers immediately after Death are made perfect in Holiness are received up to Heaven and behold the Face of God in Light and Glory Their Bodies in the mean time resting in the Grave till the Resurrection are then Re-united to their Souls in Perfect Blessedness and full Enjoyment of God forever XXVI Of the Last Iudgment God has appointed a Day wherein he will Judge the Quick and the Dead in Righteousness by Jesus Christ to whom all Power and Judgment is given of the Father for the Glorifying his Divine Mercy in the Salvation of the Elect and of his Divine Justice in the Eternal Damnation of the Wicked and Disobedient FINIS An Answer to some part of that Pamphlet Called A Plain and Just Account of a Plague being at Rothwell c. Wherein it will be manifest that they that gave the Account gave a very unjust Account in some Matters as in others they Charge as Errors the great Truths of the Gospel of our Lord. By Rob Betson Pastor of the Church of Christ in Wellingborough OH that my Head was a Fountain of Tears that I could Weep Day and Night for a Generation of Men professing love to Christ and Souls and yet their Mouths are full of Revilings and their Pens dipt in Gall as the first Page testifieth and several other places in the Book wherein they act like that Orator Tertullus in Acts 24. 5. We have found this Man a pestilent fellow and a mover of Sedition among all the Jews throughout the World and a Ring-leader of the Sect of the Nazarens c. Thus he accused and the Jews assented saying That these things were so vers 9. And thus do the Writers of this Pamphlet accuse God's Servant Mr. Davis with many others which I question not but they are dear to our Lord Jesus But yet the People are ready to say all is true that can be spoken yea this I observe these Men will believe the Reports of the worst of Men against him when they will not believe their nearest Friends that speak for him tho what they speak they have seriously weigh'd which sheweth them to be of their minds Jeremy complaineth of Chap. 20. 10. Report say they and we will Report it But I believe the Lord in his own time will vindicate the Faith and Order of that Gospel which is now opposed by a Generation of Men that have not the Power of Godliness However I earnestly intreat all that fear the Lord to cease Reviling and take Paul's Counsel Ephesians 4. 31 32. Let all Bitterness and Wrath and Anger and Clamor and evil speaking be put away and be ye kind one to another And if you yet be in doubt take Gamaliel's Counsel Acts 5. 38 39. For we are very willing that whatever there is that is not of God should fall and we are also sure that whatever is of God you cannot overturn it therefore pray have a Care you be not found fighters against God And pray weigh very seriously what Mr. Davis hath written in answer to what is charged against him for I do trust that in