Selected quad for the lemma: act_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
act_n	believe_v	faith_n	habit_n	3,078	5	10.3510	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A09990	The nevv covenant, or the saints portion A treatise vnfolding the all-sufficiencie of God, and mans uprightnes, and the covenant of grace. delivered in fourteene sermons vpon Gen. 17. 1. 2. Wherevnto are adioyned foure sermons vpon Eccles. 9.1. 2. 11. 12. By the late faithfull and worthie minister of Iesus Christ Iohn Preston. Dr. in Divinitie, chaplaine in ordinary to his Maiestie, maister of Emmanuel Colledge in Cambridge, and sometimes preacher of Lincolnes Inne.	Preston, John, 1587-1628.; Sibbes, Richard, 1577-1635.; Davenport, John, 1597-1670.	1629 (1629)	STC 20241; ESTC S101919	353,487	626

he that hath entred into Couenant with mee and therefore saith he it shall neuer be said that the King of Sodome hath made Abraham rich I haue receiued all from him and I will restore all to him therefore you see hee paid Tythes to Melchizedeck he gaue him the tenth of all that he had So is it now saith God that Mesiah that promised ●eed is a Priest after the order of Melchizedeck he is a King he shall come and blesse thee after that manner he shall make thee heyre of all things onely thou shalt doe him homage saith hee as thou didst to Melchizedeck What was that homage That thou shalt giue him the tenth of all thou hast that is by that thou shalt shew thine homage thou shalt shew that thou art bound to yeeld him obedience thou shalt shew vpon what tenure thou holdest all that thou hast thou giuest him that as a rent acknowledging him to bee the Lord of whom thou hast receiued all things and to whom thou owest all things therefore Abraham would take nothing of any else hee would take nothing of the King of Sodome nor he would doe nothing for the King of Sodome that is not to him nor any man but as from God as a meanes vnder him Beloued this is the great Couenant that the Lord made with Abraham So you see how the promise is made to the seed for the promise was made thus to the seed God had promised that hee should bee a King a Priest and a Prophet I haue sworne saith he thou art a Priest for euer after the order of Melchizedeck againe I will giue vnto him the Kingdome of Dauid Thus the promises come after in the Old Testament So the promise is made to the seed and againe it is the seede that blesseth him This is the promise Now for the Condition that God required of Abraham it was this Thou shalt beleeue this thou shalt beleeue that such a Mesiah shall be sent into the World Art thou able to beleeue this Abraham He answers Yes Well saith the Lord I will put thee to the tryall I will see whether thou canst beleeue this or no and withall I will giue thee a signe or euidence that I am able to performe it saith he I will giue thee a Sonne It is true thou art as a dead man thou art almost a hundred yeeres old and the wombe of Sarah is dead I will promise thee a Sonne art thou able to beleeue it Againe thou seest the Land of Canaan thou hast not one foot in it I will giue this land from the length and breadth of it for thy possession Art thou able to beleeue this saith the Text Abraham did beleeue and God accounted that faith of his for righteousnesse that is hee accepted him for it for that faith he reckoned him a man fit to make a Couenant with all hee accounted him a righteous person that is hee was willing to enter into Couenant with him because he beleeued him Beloued this was not directly the beleeuing of the Mesiah he did not intend the Mesiah but it was the beleeuing that he should haue a sonne You see the Text is plaine Gen. 15. when God had said to Abraham that hee would bee his exceeding great reward saith Abraham I goe childlesse and the Steward of my house will be my heyre Saith the LORD to him Verse 4. This man shall not be thine heyre but one that shall come out of thine own bowels shall be thine heyre Goe looke vpon the Starres if thou be able to number them then thou shalt number the seed that thou shalt haue Saith the Text Verse 6. Abraham beleeued and hee accounted that to him for righteousnesse So likewise he addes in the Verses following againe hee said I am the Lord that brought thee out of Vr of the Chaldees to giue thee this Land to inherit it So my beloued this was the promise Now when Abraham had beleeued this saith the Lord to him This faith of thine that is not this particular act by which thou beleeuest that thou shalt haue a sonne that shall be thine immediate heyre but that habit that grace of faith that b●leeuing disposition in thee whereby thou art able to beleeue this promise saith he with the same faith thou also belieuest the promise of the Messiah that a certaine seed● shall be giuen thee in whom all the Nations of the Earth shall be blessed Saith he this faith of thi●e I take for the condition of the Couenant on thy part I will for this reckon thee as righteous I will account thee as a man fit to be entred into Couenant withall Againe the Lord tryes him afterward when Isaac was growne Verse 22. Goe saith hee and kill thy sonne Abraham was able to keepe it hee went and meant to haue done it in good earnest so there was the same ground for beleeuing now that there was before So saith hee GOD could haue raised him from the dead when I had killed him aswell as make mee when I was dead and Sarahs wombe when that was dead to bring forth a sonne God can aswell raise him from the dead as he could giue him mee from a dead wombe at first Wee see that God vpon this renewes the Couenant againe and renewes it with an Oath sure saith he I will performe my Couenant since I see that thou beleeuest and fearest mee and preferrest me before thine only sonne these are but the concomitants of his faith So my beloued it was this act of Abraham by which hee did beleeue the promise of God that made him partaker of the Couenant And if you aske now what is the condition that makes euery man partaker of this Covenant of grace It is nothing but onely faith ability to beleeue it that GOD would send such a Messiah before the Law and that hee hath exhibited and sent him since for you must know this that all the promises the very giuing of Isaac the giuing of the promised Land all these were but shaddowes as it were of the great promise of the maine Couenant in Christ. So likewise that act of Abrahams faith whereby hee beleeued that he should haue a sonne and beleeued that GOD would giue his children possession of that Land where he had not a foot was but likewise a branch and a shaddow and a pledge as it were of the maine act of faith whereby he beleeued the promised seed should be giuen him in whom himselfe and all the Nations of the Earth should bee blessed So then wee haue found out this what the Condition is that God requires of euery man to bee made partaker of his Couenant it is nothing but to beleeue in God that is God saith I will giue my Sonne to you to vs a Sonne is giuen c. that shall be the promised seede and I will make him a King a Priest and a Prophet to blesse you hee shall giue you remission of sinnes c. he shall

rebellion against it I say this keepes men off from the life of God But on the other side when a man lookes vpon the promises he begins to see the Couenant that his sinnes shall be put a way he beginnes to see the goodnesse and the mercy and the tender compassion of God towards him hee begins to see a possibility of fulfilling the Law in such a manner as GOD now requires then his heart melteth hee becomes not onely applyable to the Commandement but is ready to delight in it this a man gets by applying his heart to the Couenant of grace or by applying the Couenant of Grace to himselfe that very applying of the promises of forgiuenesse I say it begets a disposition in the heart which the Scriptures call a new life that euen as you see the Sunne when it applies its beames to a fitly disposed matter and stayes vpon it when it pitcheth its beames vpon it with any continuance it begins to beget life and motion in it and makes it a liuing creature so doth the Couenant of Grace when it is applyed to the heart of a man it begins to beget life in him and to make him a new creature it makes him another man there is that power in the Couenant of Grace in the promises of the pardon and forgiuenesse of sins that it begets another life in a man it makes him a new creature it makes him a liuing creature to GOD which before he was not the ground of which you shall see 2 Cor. 3. 6. Hee hath made vs able Ministers of the New Testament not of the letter but of the Spirit for the letter kills but the Spirit giues life Marke it the meaning of it is this when the Couenant of works is deliuered to you that is when you heare the Law the Commands the duty you cannot performe there is no more deliuered to you but the bare letter that is you know the duty and no more And what doth this duty doe what doe these Commandements and precepts doe when they are applyed to the heart of man Saith hee they kill Now that which kills fights before it kills and that which fights must needs be an enemy so then the Commandement is an Enemy that is euery man esteemes it as an enemie to himselfe and therefore hath an enemy-like affection to it againe that is he hates it he would be rid of it he wisheth there were no such Law or Commandement hee desires it should be dealt with as he would haue an enemy dealt with he would haue it vtterly taken away when they grow in enmity one with another as indeed they doe the naked Commandement and the heart are at enmity for the Commandement would haue one thing and the heart would haue another there are contrary wils and there is a striuing betweene them the one striuing this way the other that way the one resisting the other and in the end the Law and the Commandement gets the victory because the sting of the Law is sinne now the Law is the cause of sinne as a straight Rule is the cause of crookednesse for without the Law there should be no sin now it causeth sinne for if there were no Law you know there could bee no feare no transgression because there could bee nothing against which the transgression should come this sinne is the death of a man so now the letter kils But come now to the Couenant of Grace saith the Text it is the ministration of the Spirit and the Spirit giues life that is when a man lookes on the Couenant of Grace he lookes not on it now as an enemy as hee did before vpon the Commandement but he sees in it much loue and much friendship to wards him he sees God intends not any hurt any euill to him as he apprehended before he sees God exceeding kinde and mercifull and willing to put away all his sinnes and willing to accept the sincerity of his obedience though there be not a perfection of obedience now he begins to change his opinion both of God and of all his Lawes and precepts when he sees Gods kindnesse towards him and his compassion and readinesse to forgiue him then his heart begins to relent towards the Lord againe he begins to magnifie Gods goodnesse and to condemne himselfe he beleeues those promises and thence he growes vp in loue toward GOD I say hee growes vp in faith and loue and in this act of faith is the Spirit infused into his heart this Spirit being thus infused writes the Law in his inward pa●ts that is it that breeds in him a holy disposition that inables him in some measure to keepe the Law it prints in him all those graces that giue him strength to obserue the Commandements that God hath given him so my beloued if a man will goe about this great worke to change his heart and to change his life let him not goe about it as a morall man that is let him not onely consider what Commandements there are what the rectitude is that the LORD requires and how to bring his heart to it but let him goe about it as a Christian that is let him beleeue the promises of pardon in the blood of Christ and the very beleeuing of those promises will be able to clense and purge the heart from dead works in that place we then named and we could doe no more but name it you shall finde it Heb. 9. 14. How much more shall the blood of Christ which by the eternall Spirit offered himselfe without fault to God purge your consciences from dead workes to serue the liuing God The meaning of it is this when a man hath once applyed the blood of Christ for his iustification this effect will follow vpon it there will accompany it a certaine vigour a certaine vertue a certaine power and strength which will also purge his conscience from dead workes that is there shall goe a power of the Holy Ghost together with this blood that shall not onely forbid him and shew him that hee ought not to doe such and such euill things but it shall clense his conscience from those rootes of dead workes those corrupt lusts and sinfull affections that are in him that dispose him to that euill he shall find this power growing vpon him if hee doe but apply the blood that is if he apply the promise of pardon and forgiuenesse through the blood of Iesus Christ. The like you shall see Gal. 3. 5. He that ministreth to you the Spirit and workes miracles amongst you doth he doe it through the workes of the Law or through the hearing of faith preached That is saith the Apostle if I should onely deliuer to you the Commandements and the Precepts and the Rules by which you ought to walke I might preach long enough to you but you should neuer haue ability to keep any of these saith he you may obserue those that preach the Law to you did

would haue it by free grace and not of debt for saith hee If I should giue a Law and rules to men and promise them life vpon it when they had performed the worke they would challenge it of debt no saith the LORD it is an inheritance I doe not vse to deale with my children as men doe with their seruants that I should giue them worke to doe and when they haue done it I should giue them wages then they would come and challenge it a my hands by way of debt no saith the Lord this is an inheritance and you are my sonnes and you shall haue it giuen you freely and giuen you as it becomes a Father to giue it so you shall take it therefore that it might bee of free grace and not of debt therefore it is by faith and not by workes And that is added likewise if it had beene by workes men would haue beene ready to boast and haue said I haue done this I am able to keepe the Law therefore the promise of eternall life shall bee made good to mee I shall receiue it as wages men would boast in themselues No saith the LORD no creature shall boast in it selfe for that puts euery man further from the LORD the more a man reioyceth in himselfe the more he stands vpon his owne bottome the more he is diuorsed from GOD and separated from him but saith he he that reioyceth let him reioyce in the LORD for that fits a man for the LORD and therefore I will haue it by faith it shall not bee by workes So beloued you see now what is the Condition Surely looke how Abraham was made partaker of the Couenant so euery one of vs must bee Abraham was made partaker of it by saith so shall euery man be made partaker of it by faith and no otherwise Abraham beleeued God when hee had a promise and because he beleeued him not that particular act of faith but that grace of faith whereby he beleeued this and the other promises of the Messiah was counted to him for righteousnesse and so for this cause because wee beleeue the promises and the Couenant of Grace therefore the LORD accepts vs and accounts vs righteous and because this seemes strange to the sonnes of men therefore we see with how much adoe Paul labours to make it good what strong obiections were against it in all times I haue shewed the reason Now when you reade Rom. 3. 4. and Gal. 3. 4. you may know the better the meaning of those places Well so you see the Couenant secondly you see the Condition now you heare that there is such a Couenant as this The third thing is the confirmation of the Couenant when a man heares that GOD will vouchsafe so much fauour vnto mankinde a man is ready to say as Gedion did alas my family is poore in Manasses I am the least in all my Fathers house And who am I that I should be raised vp hitherto that such a promise as this should be made to mee that I should goe and saue Israel c. I say after the same manner a man might bee ready to obiect Alas what are wee the sonnes of men that the great GOD of Heauen and Earth should enter into such a Couenant with vs that he should make vs such promises as these that he should make vs heyres of the World that hee should blesse vs in that manner to make vs sonnes to make vs Kings and Priests Saith the LORD I confesse it is a Couenant that needes confirmation therefore the LORD hath confirmed it all these wayes the LORD hath confirmed it first by his promise saith he you haue my sure word for it if that bee not enough I will confirme it by an Oath and because he had no greater to sweare by he saith by my selfe haue I sworne that I will make it good this is not enough but he confirmes it by the blood of Christ himselfe the Mediator shall come and confirme this Testament and when the Testament is confirmed by the death of the Testator there is no more altering of that saith hee Gal. 3. A mans Testament no man changeth after once it is confirmed and when the Testator is dead Heb. 9. then the Testament is confirmed so it is confirmed by the blood by the death of the Testator This is not enough but hee hath added seales vnto it hee hath confirmed it likewise by them saith hee I will adde the seale of Circumcision and of the Passeouer For Circumcision saith the LORD Goe and circumcise your selues and when I see the Circumcision I will remember my Couenant and make it good to you that as hee said of the Bow he set the Bow in the Cloud saith hee I will make my Couenant that I will neuer destroy the Earth againe with raine this Bow shall be the witnesse of the Couenant and when I looke vpon it I will remember my Couenant after this manner are the signes and seales of the Couenant saith he Circumcise your selues and when I see that I will remember my Couenant and will spare you and I will make good to you all the promises of it So likewise the Passeouer saith hee See that ●ou keepe it take the Lambe and sprinkle the blood c. Saith he when I see it I will remember my Couenant Where beloued this is to be obserued that these signes or seales of the Couenant not onely confirme the promises on our part but they signifie that faith that condition which is required on our part for when the LORD comes and lookes into his Church and sees a great company in it sees his House full and he comes and askes What doe you in my House What doe a number of those that professe themselues to be within the compasse of the Couenant there Their answer is LORD we beleeue wee are among those that keepe the Condition If you beleeue where is your Circumcision It may be you haue that outward Circumcision in the flesh but where is the Circumcision of the heart for if you did beleeue indeede it would worke a change in the heart as faith I told you that is indeede a liuely faith workes a cha●ge it c●ts off sinfull lusts it makes a man deny himselfe and cleaue to God and serue him with a perfect heart So againe after that manner doth the second signe of the Couenant which is the Passeouer when the LORD shall aske Doe you beleeue Yes heere is the sprinkling of the blood of the Lambe But where is the true sprinkling vpon the heart and conscience heere is the outward Passeouer the outward profession you come and take the signe and the seale but where is the inward sprinkling Therefore you see what was required in the Passeouer saith hee when you eate the Lambe c. haue you tasted of the sweet of the Lambe haue you euer tasted of the sweetnesse that is in Iesus Christ so that you can loue