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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	law_n	life_n	write_v	2,944	5	5.7098	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A20729	The Christians freedome wherein is fully expressed the doctrine of Christian libertie. By the rt. reuerend father in God, George Downeham, Doctor of Diuinity and Ld. Bp. of Derry.	Downame, George, d. 1634.	1635 (1635)	STC 7111; ESTC S102215	96,431	253

heire of eternall life For as Christ was made a sinner for vs so are wee made righteous before God in him Christ was made a sinner for vs by imputation of our sinnes to him therefore we are made righteous before God in him by imputation of his righteousnesse vnto vs. Againe as we were made ●inners that is guilty of the first Adams transgression so are we iustified by the obedience of the second Adam But wee are guilty of the first Adams transgression by imputation For how should that being an action and therefore transrent be communicated vnto vs Let Bellarmine answere It is communicated to vs saith he as transient things vse to bee communicated that is to say by imputation Therefore wee are iustified by imputation of the obedience of the second Adam For the obedience of Christ which hee performed on earth being transient how could it bee communicated vnto vs but as Bellarmine saith all transient things are communicated viz. by imputation The reason of wich imputation is this For as all men being in Adam as the roote of mankind originally are guilty of his sinne it being imputed vnto them because in him and by him by reason of their vnion with him all sinned so the faithfull being in Christ as their head or roote are iustified by his obedience if being imputed to them because in him and by him by reason of our vnion with him we fulfilled the Law and in him and by him wee satisfied the iustice of God But we are sanctified by the infusion of grace wrought in vs by the holy Ghost Iustification is the very intitling of vs to the kingdome of heauen Sanctification is both the badge and cognizance whereby they are to bee discerned and knowne who are iustified and shall bee saued and the fitting and preparing of vs to that kingdome whereinto no vncleane thing shall enter The righteousnesse of iustification is perfect for it is the righteousnesse of Christ and therefore of iustification it selfe there are no degrees though of the assurance thereof there bee degrees according to the measure of faith The righteousnesse of our sanctification which is inherent is vnperfect in this life and stained with the flesh thereof there are degrees as wee grow in grace Wee are both iustified and sanctified by faith but in divers respects We are iustified by faith because by it wee apprehend the righteousnesse of Christ therefore are iustified by it not formally as it is a power or habit in vs or as it is a part of inherent righteousnesse but relatiuely in respect of the obiect which it doth apprehend and by it alone wee are iustified because it is the only grace in vs which apprehendeth the merits of Christ to iustification Wee are sanctified by faith as a chiefe part of our sanctification being as it were the roote both of other inward graces and outward obedie●ce but we are not sanctified by it alone because not only other graces inherent but also outward obedience concurre thereto These things thus premised let vs consider what that liberty is which we haue both in our iustification and also in our sanctification In both as our freedome is an immunity wee are freed from sinne and from the Law which is the strength of sinne though in different respects which will bee so many more differences betwixt iustification and sanctification In sinne there are two things the guilt thereof and the corruption In iustification wee are freed wholly from the guilt of sinne for to be iustified is to haue remission of sinne Rom. 4. 6. 7. or which is all one to be freed or absolued from the guilt of it And so certaine it is that in iustification we haue this freedome that to be iustified is to bee freed according to the Scriptures phrase Rom. 6. 7. he that is dead is freed from sinne the Greeke is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 See Act. 13. 38. 39. Bee it knowne vnto you that through Christ is preached vnto you forgiuenesse of sinnes And from all things from which you could be iustified by the law of Moses by him every one that beleeueth is iustified Where to be iustified is to haue pardon of sinne or freedome from the guilt of it The guilt of sinne is the obligation or binding over of the sinner vnto punishment and this bond is partly in the Law which is the hand-writing or obligation that is against vs binding over the transgressor of it to the punishment threatned in it and partly in the conscience applying the Law morall or naturall to the sinner and from thence pronouncing him subiect to punishment From this obligation or guilt we are freed before God and as it were in the court of heauen so soone as wee beleeue and we are freed from the same in the court of conscience when wee know that we beleeue and are assured of our iustification For by faith wee haue remission of sinne and whosoeuer beleeueth in Christ hee is iustified from the guilt thereof This our freedome containeth in it happinesse for as their estate is miserable whose sinnes are not forgiuen because by their sinnes they are debtors vnto God owing in respect thereof eternall death and damnation though they only feele this burthen whose conscience is throughly touched of whom it is said A wounded spirit who is able to beare so their estate is happy who are freed from the guilt of sinne David though a King flourishing in great honor wealth and delights notwithstanding he reposeth his felicity in the forgiuenesse of sin Psal. 32. Blessed is the man whose wickednesse is forgiuen and whose sinne is covered blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity Which should moue vs aboue all things to labour for the forgiuenesse of sin and for the assurance thereof If thou beleeue in Christ and withall confesse thy sin and forsake it thou maist bee sure that it is pardoned Secondly in our iustification we are freed from the law and that in two respects First from the malediction or condemnation of it secondly from the lawes exaction of inherent and that perfect righteousnesse vnto iustification Vnder which double yoke of bondage all men are that are not iustified by faith in Christ that is all men in them selues are subiect to the curse who in the least degree doe at any time in their whole life transgresse any part of the law as all men oftentimes doe and againe no man who is not in Christ can be exempted from the curse and attaine to iustification vnlesse he continue in all the things which are written in the booke of the law to doe them which no man is able to doe the law by reason of the flesh being impossible vnto vs. Let naturall or vnconuerted men apply this to themselues Canst thou not by the sentence of the law be exempted from the curse vnlesse thou

as the strong God sheweth that God is not onely strong and strength it selfe but that it is hee that giueth all strength to his creatures By this name Shaddai which is omnipotent God stileth himselfe vsually to the Patriarches calling himselfe El Shaddai the strong God Almighty this name belongs only to God and to none other Creature Adonai my Lord is found one hundred thirty foure times in the old Testament by this name wee challenge God to bee our God and with Thomas say thou art my Lord and my God Helion which signifieth most high was giuen vnto God by Gabriell telling the Virgin Mary that the child that should bee borne of her should be the Sonne of the most high Abba a Syriacke name signifying Father by it remember what you receiue from God proceedeth from a Fatherly loue and that you owe him againe Filiall obedience All these sacred names of God are as pledges and remembrances of Gods omnipotency and loue towards you and of your dutie towards him As the true knowledge of God is the onely inducement to the exercise of your dutie towards him so the religious practise of that dutie is the onely rule whereby you may liue reposedly and die cheerefully In this exercise I doe commend foure things vnto you Heare pray meditate and doe SECT III. of Hearing and reading the Scriptures THis hearing whereof I speake consisteth in the reading of Gods sacred word contained in the Books of the old and new Testament and hearing it from preachers For the whole Scripture is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 giuen by inspiration of God and is profitable to teach to improoue to correct and to instruct in righteousnes that the man of God may be made perfect in all good works The Scriptures are diuided into the old and new Testament the first is called the the old because it was reuealed in the former time the other New because it was reuealed in the latter time The difference betweene the old and new Testament is onely in certaine accidents Ceremonies and dispensation of things in externall forme and difference of time but in substance all one and tending to one effect in vertue and efficacy In the old the new is figured and shadowed in the new is the declaration and manifestation of the old By Moses was the old Testament reuealed and the law giuen being holy iust and good seruing rather to bring vs to knowledge of our owne insufficiency to fulfill the same then for laying vpon the corrupted sonnes of Adam that which they were not able to vndergoe The new Testament was reuealed by Christ when hee was manifested in the flesh in whom did appeare the righteousnesse of God or the goodnesse that comes from God to vs witnessed by the Law and Prophers In the Euangelicall dispensation of the Gospell is the deliuerance of Gods people not from an earthly but from a spirituall bondage of sinne and Sathan Here is a triumph ouer the suppressed enemy not Pharaoh but Sathan himselfe Here is an introduction to possesse not earthly Canaan but heauenly Ierusalem Here is a Law giuen not in Sinai but in Sion not by Angelicall ministery but by the presence of the Lord himselfe not after a fearefull sort but with wonderfull lenity and gentlenesse not grauen in stony tables but effectually printed in the hearts of the elect In the old testament was bondage feare in the new liberty glad tidings the ministry not of death but of life not a rigorous exacter but a mercifull Sauiour not the Sacraments of circumcision and the passeouer the administration whereof was blood but baptisme and the Lords supper both 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vnbloudy In the new testament is a preisthood not Aaronicall not externall not tyed to any one nation Family or tribe but spirituall and common to all the faithfull throughout the world In it is a sacrifice and that bloudy but not of beasts but the sweet smelling sacrifice of the pretious bloud of our Lord and Sauiour Christ Iesus not iterated but finished once for all vpon the Crosse. In the new testament are ceremonies few and easie to wit the word Sacraments and prayers In one word in the old testament were figures shadowes and promises in the new the fulfilling and accomplishment of all this new couenant of grace shall continue to the worlds end and shall giue place to no other but to the eternall fruition of the Kingdome of heauen Hereby the excellency of the new testament is manifest and that both the old and new differing in accidents and circumstances are in substance and truth all one and that the one is contained in the other making vp an absolute body containing perfect sufficiency to saluation and whereto wee must neither adde nor diminish neither seeke for Christ and saluation else where for this cause wee are commanded to search the Scriptures Therfore wouldest thou know what sinne is and the punishment thereof by the law The ●iue bookes of Moses shall teach thee the historicall parts of these the bookes of the Prophets Prouerbs of Salomon and Ecclesiastes will let you see the reward of the godly and punishment of the wicked and furnish you with a rich store-house of goulden sentences and diuine morall precepts The kingly Psalmes of Dauid shall plentifully admi●ister vnto you heauenly phisicke for all spirituall diseases The foure Euangelists shall teach you the life and doctrine and death of our Sauiour The Acts of the Apostles shall acquaint you with the practise of Christs doctrine in the Primitiue Church The Epistles of the Apostles shall traine you vp particularly in Christ his Schoole Make vse of the rest of the books called Apocrypha so far as they agree with the Scripture and no farther Read the ●crip●ures with a sanctified chast heart for vnlesse they be read by the inspiration of Gods spirit by the which they were written with humility desire to know they remaine as a dead letter in the efficacy thereof as I did aduise you before Admire reuerently such obscure places as by your weake capacity you cannot vnderstand neuer going farther in the curious search of diuine misteries then either by conferring some other place of Scripture or by conference with some learned Diuine you may bee informed so haue they that easinesse and plainenesse that the simple may be comforted taught They are that admirable Riuers both shallow and deepe wherein as the Lambe may wade the Elephant may swimme and it is only the dulnesse of our capacity that makes them hard to vs and the vaile of our hearts that cannot bee remoued except by him that hath the Key of Dauid that opens where no man shuts and shuts where no man opens Delight most in such places of Scriptures as serue best for your instructions in your owne calling for many men are too busie in others callings and negl●c●ers of their