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
A68718	A key of heaven the Lords Prayer opened, and so applied, that a Christian may learne how to pray, and to procure all things which may make for the glorie of God, and the good of himselfe, and of his neighbour : containing likewise such doctrines of faith and godlines, as may be very usefull to all that desire to live godly in Christ Iesus.	Scudder, Henry, d. 1659?; Sibbes, Richard, 1577-1635.	1633 (1633)	STC 22122; ESTC S1717	241,855	822

act in respect of the Father Son holy Ghost in the first act of Faith and conversion of a sinner whereby the person of a man stands justified before God and shall without intercision of justification and losse of this favour of God stand before the barre of Gods tribunall and is and alwaies shall be absolutely justified and acquitted from all sinnes past present to come because all obligations hand-writings against him are in that act cancelled and blotted out he forgiving all trespasses Colos 2.13.14 Yet it must be knowne that of this act there is as it were a double sentence First in Court of heaven at which time the elect in Christ have their names inrolled in the booke of Gods effectuall calling and are numbred among the just which sentence can never be revoked or blotted out this is that which was passed with God that I may so speake after the manner of men in the first act of conversion Secondly this sentence of forgivenesse is passed in the court of the conscience of him that had the former sentence pronounced for him in heaven This sentence is the second act of the holy Ghost wrought in this manner First after that a sinner is cōvinced of his guiltines of sin and of his damnable condition because of his sinne then forgivenesse is offered and pronounced to the eare in that gracious promise of salvation to all that beleeve in Christ Iesus which promise is proclaimed in the ministerie of the Gospell in which light of the Gospell he sheweth unto a man possibility of salvation setting before him I speake of men of yeeres and understanding Christ the meanes of salvation and by this meanes the holy Ghost worketh faith in Christ then confession and griefe for sinne then prayer to aske forgivenesse and grace to live godly and then doth witnesse to his spirit that he is accepted of God Thus sentence is pronounced in the conscience from whence ariseth sense of Gods love which is called the shedding abroad of the love of God in our hearts by the holy Ghost Rom. 5.5 also sense of the loving countenance of God Psal 4.6 7. which is the signe of his loving kindnesse and is that speech of God by which he doth say to our soules he is our salvation and then ariseth in our hearts peace of conscience and joy in the holy Ghost This sentence of forgivenesse unto the conscience hath different degrees it is sometimes more cleare in the apprehension of the soule somtimes more dimme yea sometimes quite blotted out in the counterpane of our release or copie of our acquittance as it was with David Psal 51. so that a person perfectly just before God hath sometime little or no sense or apprehension of it in his owne conscience but doubteth whether he be in state of grace or no. Which happeneth because of the staine and guilt of new sinnes which guilt abideth in the conscience untill a man do confesse his sinnes repent and aske forgivenesse and by a renewed faith apply forgivenes by which meanes the evidence of his pardon is againe by the holy Ghost exemplified and sentence by this new application is againe pronounced in his conscience whence ariseth new assurance of salvation and renewed joy in the holy Ghost This is that justification which for distinction sake Divines call justification by parts or continued or repeated justification or new application of one and the same justification which justification though in respect of the sentence pronounced in heaven is one individuall act whereby a man standeth alwayes just before God yet in respect of the pronouncing of that sentence to the heart it is not actually applyed neither can a particular sinne be said to be everie way actually forgiven untill after it have beene committed is confessed and repented of nor untill forgivenesse be asked and until the holy Ghost hath made new application thereof unto the conscience through renewing of faith by which a man doth againe and againe as new sinnes are committed apply the merits of the bloud of Christ unto his soule Also it must be knowne that the sentence of pardon which is passed in heaven with God is not fully executed untill the last degree of it when sentence of absolution shall be pronounced by Christ Iesus Come ye blessed of my Father inherite the kingdome prepared for you from the foundation of the world Matt. 25.34 It must moreover be conceived and held that notwithstanding this distinction of justification betweene an absolute justification in respect of God and a justification by parts in respect of application to mans conscience there are not two kindes of justification a first and a second as the Papists hold but one and the same justification considered in different respects In respect of Gods actuall acceptation of a mans person justification is absolute but in respect of the actuall application and manifestation of Gods acceptation unto a mans conscience justification is by parts and degrees When a man alreadie justified asketh forgivenesse he doth not ask a new justificatiō but a second or new application of pardon unto the conscience of those particular sinnes which are daily committed together with continuance of Gods favour and more cleare evidence that he is sealed up unto the day of redemption The third thing to be spoken of for the better understanding the word forgive concerneth the effects following the apprehension thereof these are Peace of conscience Rom 5.1 Ro. 14.17 and joy in the holy Ghost These things touching justification and remission of sinnes being opened we may understand what is prayed for when we say Forgive sinnes Wee pray first that those which belong unto Gods election but are not yet converted may be accepted of God through Christ Iesus God not imputing their sinnes to them but unto Christ whereby they are freed from the curse We pray likewise that Christs righteousnes may be imputed to them that they beleeving in Christ might bee saved and for that cause pray that they may beleeve Secondly wee pray that our selves and others being justified and accepted into favour it would please the Lord to continue this his favour and that he would signifie and make the same knowne to our hearts and consciences daily by a new testification of the holy Ghost accompanied with a new application of pardon for new sinnes daily committed and that wee may have more and more assurance of our perfect redemptiō at the day of judgement and that we may have peace of conscience and joy in the holy Ghost in the meane time The particular circumstances in this Petition come next to bee laid open which are three First the connexion of this Petition by this copulative and that is As well forgive sinnes as give daily bread The second is the person who is to forgive that is God the Father through the satisfaction and mediation of the Sonne by the application of the holy Ghost Thus much is implyed in forgive in which

adversaries that presume upon their owne strength shall faint but they that waite upon the Lord shall renew their strength Asa did confirme himselfe against an hoast of more than a thousand thousand enemies by this point in hand saying to the Lord 2. Chron. 14.11 It is nothing with thee to helpe whether with many or with them that have no power And whereas Gods children are many of them little and weak and their adversaries mightie and strong yet if they lay hold on the power of Gods might they shall stand in the evill day and bee sure to overcome Thus John encourageth all Gods children saying Ye are of God 1. Ioh. 4.4 little children and have overcome them because greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world Paul comforteth himselfe in this when persecutours went about to take away his life 2. Tim. 2.12 saying I know whom I have beleeved and I am perswaded that he is able to keepe that which I have committed unto him And hereby we know that our vile body shall be made like Christs glorious body Philip. 3.21 because of that mighty working whereby Christ is able to subdue all things to himselfe And we are assured of that inheritance incorruptible in the heavens because both it is reserved for us and we are kept for it by the power of God through faith unto salvation 1. Pet. 1.4.5 And thine is glory In that glory is appropriated unto God we learne All glory and praise primarily Doct. 5 and properly belongeth unto God Therefore the foure and twenty Elders ascribe glory and honour unto him Revel 4.11 Likewise all creatures in heaven and in earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea and all that are in them are brought in giving glorie and honour to him that sitteth upon the Throne and unto the Lambe for ever and ever Revel 5.13 This is Reason because God onely is of himselfe excellent and glorious If any other persons or things have any excellencie or goodnesse they have it of God for of him Rom. 11.36 through him and to him are all things saith the Apostle to whom bee glory for ever Amen Who so would be further confirmed and would see what use he should make of this Doctrine let him look back into the first Doctrine of the first Petition For ever Here it must be observed that Doct. 5 All divine prerogatives and properties that are in God are everlasting His soveraigntie power and glorie and all his attributes had no beginning and shall have no ending Moses in the Psalme saith From everlasting to everlasting thou art God Psalm 90.2 The Apostle saith To the King eternall immortall c. be honour and glory for ever 1. Tim. 1.17 who also speaking of God in another place saith Who onely hath immortality c. to whom bee honour and power everlasting 1. Tim. 6.16 The nature of God is perfect and absolute without mixture Reason or composition of things contrary or divers so that there cannot be in him any internall cause of corruption and ending Also God is independant and above all other things that there can be no externall cause and therefore no cause that can cause any alteration in him or can put an end to his being therefore God must needs be the same yesterday to day and for ever Is God everlasting in everie Vse 1 one of his properties then let the wicked feare and tremble for the truth of all Gods threatnings in his word is everlasting heaven and earth shall passe but no jot of the truth of his Word shall be unfulfilled Hereby they must assure themselves that the intolerable torments of hell that are appointed for them are everlasting If there might be an end of Gods justice power and glorie there might be an end of torment but so long as God whose breath as a streame of brimstone Isa 30.33 doth kindle hell-fire is everlasting Mark 9. the gnawing worme and scorching fire made to torment every sinner must needs be everlasting Ah how can they endure this everlasting burning Isa 33.14 The thoughts of the eternitie Vse 2 of Gods properties are exceeding joyous and comfortable unto all that have made their peace with God through faith in Christ for his truth his grace and love and his power to save them 1. Thes 4.17 Psal 16.11 is everlasting By this we may assure our selves that after the day of judgement we shall both in body and soule ever be with the Lord in whose presence is fulnesse of joy and pleasures for evermore because he that hath promised and purchased and which hath prepared and reserved an eternall inheritance in the heavens for us 1. Pet. 1.4 ever liveth to fulfill and continue it to us Sith all Gods excellencies are Vse 3 everlasting we must daily and constantly for ever ascribe unto him glory everlasting Amen This is the second part of the Lords Prayer whereby is expressed the right disposition of the minde and heart of a man when he prayeth which is indeed the very life of prayer This Hebrew word Amen remaineth for the most part untranslated in Greeke Latin English and in all other languages It is used either in the beginning or ending of a speech In the beginning of a speech it importeth an earnest asseveration whereunto our saying verily or indeed or in very truth doth answer in this sense it is often used by Christ in the Gospell When it is in the latter end of a speech as here and in divers other places it signifieth two things either a wish of the heart to obtaine what is proposed or else a perswasion of the heart that it shall obtaine that which was proposed Oft times it signifieth both That Amen is a wish and desire of what was before spoken of it appeareth by Benaiah's answer to David when he had appointed Solomon to be ruler over Israel and over Iudah saying Amen which he doth explane by these words The Lord God of my Lord the king say so too 1. King 1.36 That Amen sheweth a perswasion of faith touching the thing before spoken of see Rom. 9.5 where when Paul had said of Christ that he was over all God blessed for ever he addeth Amen that is he was assuredly perswaded that it was so Amen in this place signifieth both the assent and wish of the heart as also assurance of faith and expectation of the petitions before mentioned These different acts of the soule scil a heartie wish and expectation of what is wished are not so different but that they may in one instant be acted at once in the heart and therefore may fitly be expressed in one word so long as the word Amen doth signifie both those acts of the soule As it expresseth the assent and desire of the heart it implieth knowledge truth of heart and fervor in asking As it expresseth faith of the heart it implieth an assured expectation to obtaine

in their mindes hee will write them that is h●e will give them faith repentance and their sinnes and iniquities hee will remember no more Here we see that God promiseth to give knowledge of him and faith in him as well as to forgive their sinnes nay therefore hee giveth faith and the knowledge and feare of him that in a way of mercy mixed with justice he may forgive that so as he saith 〈◊〉 righteousnesse being ou● 〈◊〉 faith Rom. 3.26 God might be just 〈◊〉 justifier of him which beleeveth in Iesus Christ elsewhere is said to have given himselfe for us Tit. 2.14 that hee might redeeme us from all iniquity which cannot be meant by satisfying Gods justice onely that so God if hee pleased might forgive iniquity and that man if hee pleased might beleeve as the diefiers of mans free will would have it but that he might purifie us to himselfe which he worketh by his spirit in the exercise of our * Act. 15.9 faith to be a people zealous of good workes This is the very end why God raised Christ and exalted him with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour namely to give repentance as well as forgivenesse of sinnes He doth not say Act. 5.32.32 to give forgivenesse of sinnes to the Israell of God if they will beleeve and repent but he saith absolutely to give repentance that is faith and amendment of life that their sinnes past might actually be forgiven Though faith be not in the text named yet it is understood in the word repentance faith being the first part of repentance whereby an unbeleever turneth from his unbeliefe and becommeth a beleever from whence followeth the whole change of a man by repentance to new obedience In this sense repentance is also taken Acts 2.28 as will appeare if we compare Saint Pauls answer to the Iaylours question Acts 16.31 with that of Saint Peters both answering to one and the same question in effect Peter saith Repent and be baptized Paul saith Beleeve and be baptized So that if Christ dyed and rose againe to give repentance and remission of sinnes he dyed and rose againe and was exalted to give faith and forgivenesse of sinnes Faith considerable in and about forgivenesse of sinnes is either primary or secondary The first is a beleeving in Christ that through him our sinnes may be forgiven and that we through him may bee saved The second is a beleeving that our sinnes are forgiven and that by Christ we shall be saved The first is a single and direct act of the soule Ioh. 1.12 receiving Christ and relying upon Christ and upon the promise of forgivenesse and salvation by him by vertue whereof a man is united to Christ and is ingrafted into him and before God is justified The second is a reflect act of the soule whereby in a mans conscience he hath some spirituall sense that he doth beleeve in Christ and that God hath forgiven him his sinnes and hath justified him through Christ by which act God doth by his spirit speake peace and comfort to a mans soule which is not that faith whereby wee stand just before God but that whereby we are assured our sinnes are forgiven and that we are in state of grace through Christ The primarie faith is that which is to bee chiefly prayed for in the behalfe of our selves and others before conversion The secondary faith is chiefly to be prayed for in the behalfe of our selves and others after we beleeve and are in state of grace and salvation Christs righteousnesse wherby a man is justified before God in that it was performed by Christ for man unto God is virtually and in way of right mans righteousnesse even before he doth actually beleeve and that because by the decree of God the Father and in the purpose of Christ it was performed for all that should through him beleeve But this righteousnesse of Christ is not accounted to a man nor yet is his in possession and use untill he doe indeede beleeve I speake of men of yeeres by that primary faith before spoken of nor yet is Christs righteousnesse ours in any comfortable sense of it to our selves untill we beleeve by that secondary faith before mentioned Now secondly I am to shew what it is to have sinnes to be forgiven Forgivenesse in proper speech is an act of Gods mercy in not imputing or accounting to a man his sinnes and thereupon in not punishing him for sinne Which act is called also in Scripture a taking away sinne A covering of sinne a blotting out of sinne a casting it behind his backe and the like To forgive sinne not to impute sinne and to be justified and discharged from the guilt and punishment of sinne is all one Act. 13 38.39 Here the sense of forgivenesse of sinne is to be inlarged and taken synechdocically for our whole justification and salvation that is not onely for freedome from guilt and punishment of sinne unto eternall death but also for acceptation unto favour by the imputation of Christs righteousnesse unto eternall life In this justification these two things are to be considered First the very act of forgivenesse of mans person in respect of Gods not accounting him a sinner Secondly the application and manifestation thereof unto a mans selfe wherby a man hath assurance that his sinnes are pardoned and doth actually injoy the benefits that follow forgivenesse Forgivenesse in both these respects are here meant That this may bee fully and plainely understood consider the whole order of justification It is first in the gracious purpose of the Father to forgive and justifie a sinner wherefore with the Sonne and holy Ghost he did fore-appoint him thereunto Secondly it is in the Sonne who being God and man did actually by his death and resurrection purchase this forgivenesse Thirdly it is in the holy Ghost who doth actually apply the grace and merit of Christ and so maketh a sinner capable of the favour and mercy of the Father through the merit of the Son When this application is made Christ actually by way of intercession presenteth the sinner unto his Father who thereupon doth actually receive him into favour Now after this act of acceptance of a man into favour is passed with GOD through Christ then the holy Ghost doth make application of it unto the conscience of him that is accepted In the justification of a sinner there is a blessed concurrence of the speciall acts of the three Persons in the blessed Trinity God the Sonne having made satisfaction doth also make intercession for him God the Father having imputed his sinnes to his surety Christ ceaseth to account them unto him and accounting Christs righteousnesse to him hee accepteth of him as most righteous The holy Ghost having made an inseparable union betweene Christ and the sinner he doth seale and ratifie this his justification unto him It must be diligently observed that though justification be but one individuall