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A59623
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Salvation by grace and never the less of grace, tho it be through faith and not without it in several sermons on Eph. II, viii / by John Sheffield.
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Sheffield, John, 1654?-1726.
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1698
(1698)
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Wing S3065; ESTC R10848
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48,475
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122
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〈◊〉 it signifies such a narrow intent prying as we use to do into a curious Piece wherein we discern a wonderful deal of Art and Skill and were the Wisdom of it but considered and understood by us it would make us say with the Apostle O the Depths of the Riches both of the Wisdom and Knowledge of God how unsearchable c. All the Perfections of God do mutually reflect a Luster upon each other so here the Wisdom of Grace doth not in the least diminish its freeness but greatly adds to the Glory of it 4. The Grace whereby we are saved is a Pure and Holy Grace in that while it imbraces the Sinner with a most free and abundant Favour yet without the least Countenance or Favour to Sin it self tho it pardon the Sinner yet it doth not spare but most severely punishes the Sin nay it discovers the greatest hatred and abhorrence of Sin while it shews the richest and most abundant Favour and Kindness to the Sinner Though it Pardon the greatest and worst of Sinners and multiplies Pardons in blotting out Sins that are numberless and for quality of the most Crimson dye yet it doth this in such a way that it gives not the least Countenance or Incouragement to any to Sin or to continue in it nay the rich Grace displaied upon Mount Sion doth more effectually suppress and destroy the Reign of Sin then all the Fire and Thunder of Mount Sinai though it Pardons Sin freely yet it doth it in such a way and order that it doth more powerfully restrain and awe the Soul from continuing in the Practise of it then all the terrible Threats of Wrath in the Law Tit. 2. 11 12. The Grace of God that brings Salvation teacheth us to deny ungodliness and worldly Lusts and to live soberly righteously and godly hence when God proclaims his Name so full of Grace and Mercy Exod. 34. 6 7. Mercyful gracious long-suffering abundant in Goodness and Truth forgiving Iniquity Transgression and Sin yet it is added and that will by no means clear the Guilty Psalm 99. 8. Thou wast a God that forgavest them but tookest Vengeance of their Inventions those emblematical appearances of Christ that we read of Rev. 1. 13 14 15 do not obscurely shew his Holiness and Purity his Hatred and Revenges of Impenitence and Disobedience commixt with his Love and Grace and Kindness to Sinners Here you see him represented in his Priestly Garments ver 13. which shows his Love and Grace to Sinners in his Sacrifice and Intercession but ver 15. His Feet as it were Brass that burns in a Furnace which shews his fiery Wrath and Indignation against all impenitent ones Hence it is manifest that those who do from the freeness and abundance of Grace take incouragement to Sin never had any Experience of this Grace in themselves 5. The Grace whereby we are saved is a powerful Grace Eph. 1. 19. And what is the exceeding greatness of his Power to us-ward who believe it is an exceeding Power that Grace puts forth in the Conversion and Salvation of carnal and dead Sinners It overcomes the Resistance and Opposition that the carnal corrupt will assisted by the Devil and all that the Powers of Darkness can make against it It is a mighty Power indeed that of Stones raises up Children to Abraham that raiseth dead Sinners to Life that have not only like Lazarus lain four Days in the Grave but that have lain many Years rotting in their Filth and Putrefaction that is a mighty Power that makes dry and dead Bones to live which makes a Holy Temple for God himself to dwell in of that Heart which was a sty of every filthy and unclean Lust. Were not this Grace whereby we are saved an Almighty Grace we had been all to this Day yea and for ever rotting in the Grave of our Sins bound in the Chains of guilt and Death and as it is a mighty Power that first raises us to a spiritual Life so it is the same mighty Power that keeps us still through Faith unto Salvation 1 Pet. 1. 5. I shall briefly open the other two Points and then Apply all together 1. What is the meaning of this Salvation being through Faith The meaning is this that God and Christ in the Gospel Covenant do require Faith on our parts in order to our being actual Partakers and Possessors of this Salvation which Gods Grace doth freely give and Christ hath merited for us our actual Interest in and claim to this Salvation is suspended till we believe which is the same that our Saviour himself saith when he commissioned his Apostles to Preach the Gospel of Salvation to the lost World Mark 16. 16. Go Preach the Gospel He that believes shall be saved and he that believes not shall be damned It is freely offered and given by God and Christ in the Gospel Covenant but Faith is required as a necessary Disposition in all that shall actually receive and partake of it 1. Sincere Faith which is the unfeigned Consent of the Heart to receive and close with Christ upon the Terms of the Gospel Covenant is necessary to our first Interest and Title to it that is before a Soul is brought to this believing or closing with Christ it is as to the special and principal Effects and Fruits of it but a Grace offered a Christ a Saviour and Salvation offered and tendered but when we believe then it is a Salvation begun in us then we actually partake of some of the saving Fruits and Effects of this Grace and have a just Title and Claim to compleat Salvation to be given us in Gods Time and Way 2. The continued Exercise of and persevering in this Faith and the necessary Fruits of it Holiness and sincere Obedience to Christ and his Commands is necessary to our final and compleat Salvation that is to our full Deliverance from Sin and Satan Death and Hell and our Possession of Eternal Life and Happiness not that one who truly believes if he should Dye the next Day of Hour before the Performance of any one further Act of Holiness and Obedience would want any Thing to qualifie him for compleat Salvation no you must not understand it so For true Faith as it justifies the Believer at the very Moment of his believing so it would save him if he should Dye the next Moment But if God gives us further Life and Time Perseverance in Faith and Holiness to the very end of our Lives is necessary to continue our Right and Title to Salvation as Faith was at first to the obtaining of it Hence are those Promises of compleat Salvation to continued Perseverance in Faith and Holiness Rom. 2. 7. To them who by patient Continuance in well doing seek for Eternal Life James 1. 12. Blessed is he that indures Temptation for after he is tryed he shall receive the Crown of Life Rev. 2. 10. Be thou faithful to the Death and I will give thee a
his Grace in the work but his most usual ordinary way wherein he calls most is in a serious close attendance upon Ordinances that his Wisdom may be glorified together with his Grace in blessing Means that he hath appointed and useth for that End 5. Justification is of Grace which is another link in the Golden Chain of Salvation Justification is God's accounting us righteous and dealing with us as righteous Persons in discharging us from the Curse of the Law and Eternal Condemnation for the sake of Christ's Meritorious Sacrifice and Righteousness made ours by Faith And this is an act of Gods Free Grace towards us Rom. 3. 24. being Justified freely by his Grace and Tit. 3. 7. That is of Grace or Favour when a Benefit or Priviledge is bestowed that was not due that could not in Justice be claimed thus the Apostle opposeth Grace and Debt Rom. 4. 4. Now our due is Death and Wrath it was just and due that we should suffer the Penalty of that Law which we had violated but God instead of executing the Penalty and Curse of the Law which we had deserved for the sake of Christ and his Righteousness he doth freely acquit and discharge us of it he accounts us righteous and deals with us as righteous Persons for the sake of Christ whom in Justice he might have condemned and executed as guilty and rebellious Sinners 6. Sanctification is of Grace now Sanctification as it is distinguished from Regeneration and Conversion is but the further increase and improvement the further strengthening and confirming that Principle or Seed or Habit of Grace that was first given and infused in our Effectual Calling and therefore all the Parts of it such as Faith Love Resignation to God Trust and Dependance upon him Subjection to his Governing and Disposing Will these and such like that are the parts of Sanctification are called the Graces of the Spirit because Grace doth freely give and bestow both the first Principle and the after increase and improvement of them It is good saith the Apostle that the heart be established with Grace and why called Grace but because it is the fruit and effect of Gods free Grace and Favour to us 7. Perseverance and holding on to the end in Faith and Holiness is of Grace too the same hand that works the Principle of Faith and Holiness at first doth constantly cherish and preserve it that it do not fail or be extinct as Conservation is said to be a continued Creation that is God puts forth the same Almighty Power in preserving his Creatures in their being as he did at first in bestowing it upon them so the same Grace and Favour is renewed and continued in the exercise increase and persevering in Grace to the end as was at first put forth in the working of it And hence our Saviour prays for his Disciples John 17. 11. Holy Father Keep them through thy Name 1 Pet 1. 5. Kept by the Power of God through Faith unto Salvation Phil. 1. 6. He that hath begun a good Work in you will perfect it Alas should Grace turn us off to shift for our selves and look to our selves alone after it hath brought us into a State of Grace and to an Interest in Christ and his Covenant we should quickly prove Bankrupts and lose all again Such is the strength of remaining Corruption within and of Temptations and Alurements without and such is the Subtilty Malice and Power of the Devil to manage all to the best advantage against our Souls that if Grace did not keep it's hold of us we should quickly make Shipwrack of Faith and a good Conscience and our Souls too Grace in the Souls of the best but especially in young Converts is like a Spark of Fire in the midst of a Heap of Ashes that if the kind Breath of Grace did not constantly cherish and keep it in it would quickly be extinguished 8. The Eternal Reward of Glory and Happiness in Heaven is of Grace too this we have in the Text By Grace ye are saved That is compleatly Tit. 3. 5. Not by Works of Righteousness which we have done but according to his Mercy he saved us Rom. 6. 23. The Gift of God is Eternal Life After all that we have done in a patient continuance in well doing and working out our Salvation with Fear and Trembling and persevering in Faith and Holiness to the end yet Eternal Life is a free Gift after all this though it be in some Sence a Reward yet that makes it nevertheless a Gift in it self Jude 21. Looking for the Mercy of our Lord Jesus unto Eternal Life thus you see that the Salvation of guilty Sinners is from first to last of Grace Grace begins and carries it on through the various steps and degrees of it in this Life and Grace perfects and compleats all at last too the Scripture doth delight to compare the new Creation to a beautiful and stately Building wherein Grace doth all laies every Stone in it from first to last Grace laies the Foundation and the chief Corner Stone which is Redemption by Christ and our Election in him 1 Pet. 2. 6. Behold I lay in Sion a chief Corner-Stone and Grace carries on the Building and Rears up the Walls in Effectual Calling Sanctification and Perseverance therein and the Roof and Top-stone of Eternal Life and Glory is laid on with shouting crying Grace Grace unto it as it is said of the second Temple Zach. 4. 6 7. Thus as one well saith the New Man is from the Sole of the Foot to the Crown of the Head all made up of Grace and all the Links in the golden Chain of Salvation are all of pure beaten and massy Grace 2. I shall now shew you the Properties of this Grace or the Epethites that are given to it for the Scripture doth not only call it Grace but it gives many Epethites to it the better to shew its Nature and the more fully to discover and manifest its Glory 1. It is free Grace self-moving Grace that fetches not its Motives and Inducements of any thing it bestows from Man as a deserving and procuring Cause but it Acts towards us and bestows its Gifts and Blessings upon us of its own free gracious and bountiful Inclination Grace it self signifies the freeness of the Gift for Grace is as much as Gratis and doth all Gratis that is freely As a Gift signifies the freeness of what is bestowed so God is said to give Christ and give Faith and give Repentance and give Eternal Life and give the Heavenly Kingdom one would think that these Words themselves should sufficiently express the freeness of Grace So true is that common saying What is freer then Gift Yet the Scripture doth frequently adjoin the Word Free and freely to Grace and Gift as if it could never enough set forth how Free the Grace of God is in the Salvation of guilty and Dead Sinners Rom. 3. 24. Being justified freely