Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A Word B Word C Word D Occurrence Frequency Band MI MI Band Prominent
cause_n act_n sin_n will_n 1,889 5 6.7849 4 false
View all documents for the selected quad

Text snippets containing the quad

ID Title Author Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) STC Words Pages
A77515 Two treatises the one, handling the doctrine of Christ's mediatorship : wherein the great Gospel-mystery of reconciliation betwixt God and man is opened, vindicated, and applyed. The other, of mystical implantation : wherein the Christian's union and communion with, and conformity to Jesus Christ, both in his death and resurrection, is opened, and applyed. / As they were lately delivered to the church of God at Great Yarmouth, by John Brinsley, minister of the Gospel, and preacher to that incorporation. Brinsley, John, 1600-1665.; Ashe, Simeon, d. 1662. 1652 (1652) Wing B4737; Thomason E1223_1; ESTC R22919 314,532 569

There are 4 snippets containing the selected quad. | View lemmatised text

entred those lists But there is a fatal yet Providential necessitie in it There must be Heresies 1 Cor. 11.16 such is Satan's malice and Man's corruption that in an ordinary way it cannot be expected that God's Field should be free from these tares And such is Gods just and wise dispensation to permit it to be so knowing how to extract good out of evill And seeing it must be so there is a like necessity incumbent upon the Ministers of God servants of that great Husbandman that they should have John 15.1 1 Cor. 3.9 an eye to them that they do not over-grow the good corn Upon this account it is that I have as occasion hath been offered underta-that work which our great Apostle the Dr. of the Gentiles reckons amongst those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 those good works 2 Tim. 3.17 unto which the man of God should be throughly furnished Applying my self sometimes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to Reproof Engl. new Annot ver 16. viz. of Errors and false Doctrines which the Verse foregoing reckoneth as one of those four Cardinal uses for which the Scripture is profitable yet so as I have ever mainly intended those other Ministeriall services there mentioned of Doctrine Correction Instruction in Righteousnesse And to that end I have made choice of such portions of Scripture as I apprehended properly usefull for those purposes Among other I have singled out and now through a divine manuduction almost passed thorow this Chapter wherof the Text is a part with that fore-going Rom. 5. 6. The one of which professedly handles the Doctrine of Justification the other of Sanctification two main Pillars in the House of the Lord not unlike those in the Temple of Dagon Judg. 19.26 whereon the whole building stands The sum of the later of these you meet with in the Text held forth under a familiar but apt and elegant Metaphor serving as a vehiculum to convey this divine Mystery into the soul with greater both facility perspicuity In prosecuting of this Allegory I have endeavoured to follow it home to the head yet so as not willing to do what in like cases too often done viz. to overdo by extorting that from the Metaphor which it would not genuinely and naturally yeeld My service which I have herein desired to do to God and his Church as I wish it may so I hope it shall be accepted of the Saints and of You in speciall over whom God hath made me though most unworthy an Overseeer To his grace and blessing I cōmend it and you resting Yours in the service of Christ desirous to be found faithful JOHN BRINSLEY Yarmouth Sept. 8. 1651. An Alphabetical Table of the chiefe Points handled in this TREATISE A AArons Rod blossoming miraculous p. 26 Adoption a benefit flowing from mysticall Insition 37. Agonies in the Christians death to sin both before conversion and after 111 The least Agony in true conversion 116. Apostates to be suspected their condition dangerous 55. 240. Why men are called upon to Arise from the Dead 158. Augmentation a benefit flowing from union with Christ 51. Augmentation an evidence of Mysticall Implantation 54. B BArren Christians no true Mysticall Branches 74 The same body shall be raised again 181. 182 Bodies glorified spirituall Bodies 184. Mysticall Branches Beleevers 15. C CAll of God not to be put off 121 Cessation from sin evidencing true Mortification 137 Christ Mysticall 33. Communion Mysticall betwixt Christ and the Beleever 35 Conformity of Christians to Christ in his Death 90 Conformity of Christians to Christ in his Resurrection 146 In the first act of Conversion man a meer Patient 28 Conversion more then a morall swasion 158 D BEleevers Dead unto sin three wayes 125. 127 Death of Christ a violent death 99 Death of Christ a painfull death 108 Death of Christ a lingring death 118 Death unto sin a dying a continued act 121 Death unto sin what 126 Death of Christ the cause of the Christians death unto sin 130 Death unto sin how evidenced 135 E ETernall life a spirituall life 184 Eternal life a glorious life 186 F FAith without works dead 73 Christ a Foundation how 82 Fructification a benefit issuing from union with Christ 68. 72 Gospel Fruits good works 70 Fruitfulness an evidence of Mysticall Implantation 75 Fruitfulnesse in good works why requisite 76 Directions for Fruitfulnesse 78 Fulnesse of Christ the beleevers 40 G. GOspel preached the meanes of Mysticall Insition 24 Grafting naturall and mysticall unlike in three particulars 18 Grafting naturall and mysticall alike in ten particulars 22 Growth a property of all mysticall branches 52 Growth in grace to be endeavoured after 57 Growth in grace the honour of Christ and glory of Christianity 59 Growth in the Christian continuall ibid. Doubts about spirituall growth cleered 60 Hinderances of spirituall growth six 63 Means of growth 67 I. THe Christian an immortall creature 175 Insition mysticall what 13 Insition mysticrll how tryed 24 Joseph's brethren coming to him a pattern of the Christians coming to Christ 47 Judas never given to Christ as the other Apostles 85 Justification a benefit flowing from union with Christ 36 L. THe Law a Grafting knife 23 The beleever living and dying with Christ 12 No spiritual life out of Christ 25 The Christians life a new life in four particulars 165 Life of the Regenerate a spiritual life 171 An immortal life 173 Life of Saints in heaven spirituall glorious eternall 184 186 Beleevers live the life of Christ 209 Life of Christ after his Resurrection a pattern for Christians to live by 236 Lusts being dead alone what to do to them 102 Reprieving of lusts dangerous 107 M. MOrtification resembleth the death of Christ in five particulars 91 Mortification counterfeit discovered 93 Mortification a voluntary act 97 Mortification a violent death 100 Mortification a painful work 110 Mortification a lingring death 118 Mortification how the beleevers work 133 Mortification twofold Habituall Actuall 134 Mortification in what way to be sought and endeavoured 140 N Name of Christ put upon Christians 33. Nourishment beleevers receive from Christ 11. Christ perfect Nourishment to the beleever 44. Nourishment how conveyed to the soul from Christ 45. Nourishment to be drawn from Christ 47 Nutrition a benefit flowing from Vnion with Christ 43. O OLd age the unfittest time for the work of Regeneration 219. Old age renders conversion difficult and suspicious 220. Repentance in Olde age difficult to man not to God 224. P Pelagian doctrine confuted 29 Beleevers planted together in Christ 3 Beleevers planted together with Christ 5. Plantation mystycall by way of Adhesion and Insition 6. Mysticall Implantation how effected 16. ●●●ll Implantation the work of free grace 31. 〈◊〉 spiritvall Pride 7 Q 〈…〉 a Quickning spirit 200 〈…〉 discerned 202 R CHrist Raised to the glory of God his father how 176. Beleevers raised to the glory of God Actively and Passively 177 Resurrection Corporall and Spiritual 146
Christ must partake of both Natures And it was very requisite that he should be so And that for the due qualifying of him for the Office and Work of his Mediatorship That he might be a meet and fitting Person to deale betwixt God and men That was his Office that was his Work to deal with God for man and to deal for God with man Now that he might be fit for both these transactions for both parts of this Office he must partake of both Natures That he might effectually deal with God for man he must be God If a man sin against the Lord who shall intreat for him saith Eli to his sons 1 Sam. 2.25 And that he might deale from God and for God with man he must be man When God spake unto Israel at Mount Sinai at the giving of the Law though I conceive it was not the immediate voice of God himselfe Lex non data est per Filium sed per unum è praecipuis Angelis Dei nomine loqueniem Grotius Annot in Hebr. 2.2 but of some principall Angel whose Ministry he there made use of in that promulgation as may not obscurely be collected from those known Texts Heb. 2.2 Acts 7.38 yet the people were not able to abide that Voice or Presence And therefore they desire an Internuncius a man like themselves who might be as a Mediatour to go betwixt God and them Exod. 20.18 19. For this Reason amongst others it was requisite that the Messiah Jesus Christ should be both God and man that he might be a meet Mediatour to deal betwixt God and man Thus have I passed over this first Branch of the Point in hand shewing you how Christ is a Mediatour in respect of his Person A middle Person betwixt God and man participating of both Natures And here is that Mediatio substantialis his substantiall Mediation 2 Christ a Mediator in respect of his Office dealing betwixt God Man Passe we now to the second Branch to the Energeticall Operative Mediation where we shall see how Christ is said to be a Mediatour in respect of his Office performing the work of a Mediatour being in himselfe a Middle Person he dealeth betwixt God and man Quest Dealeth betwixt them How The great Transaction of Christ in what way what is that Transaction what is the businesse wherein and whereabout the Lord Christ dealeth betwixt God and man Answ To this take the Answer in one word It is the businesse of Reconciliation Reconciliation This was the great Negotiation about which the Son of God leaving the bosome of the Father came into the world took the nature of man upon him and undertook the office of a Mediatour All for the reconciling of God and man So the Scripture holdeth it forth God was in Christ reconciling the world to himselfe 2 Cor. 5.19 It pleased the Father by him to reconcile all things to himselfe Col. 1.19 This was the great designe of God in giving his Son and of his Son in giving himself that he might be a Mediatour of Reconciliation betwixt God and man Reconciliation Take we hold of the skirts of that word Reconciliation importing three things We may learn that from it which may conduce not a little to our present purpose 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith the Originall fitly rendred Reconciliation Which is the restoring of former love amity agreement betwixt two or more disagreeing parties This is properly Reconciliation importing as you may take notice these three particulars 1. A Foregoing Amity and friendship 2. A Subsequent Breach and disagreement 3. A making up of that Breach and a restoring of that former Amity again All fitly appliable to the point we have now in hand Christ's reconciling of God and man imports all these three particulars 1. A precedent Amity and friendship Such there was betwixt God and man at first 1. Precedent Amitie God having made man after his own Image like unto himselfe there was a blessed unity and agreement betwixt them they were at One. Man was God's Favourite greatly beloved of him highly in grace and favour with him And God was again highly honoured and greatly beloved of man Thus was there a near Vnion a sweet and blessed Communion betwixt them Such was the state of man in his Creation 2. A subsequent breach 2. A Subsequent Breach whereby that Vnion and Communion were dissolved and a naturall Enmity introduced So came it to passe by Satan's mediation his interposing betwixt God and man his soliciting and enticing man to sin against the Law of his Creatour and so to break the Covenant betwixt God and him Hereupon followed a mutuall alienation God was estranged from man and man was estranged from God Nay a mutual Enmity You that were sometimes alienated and enemies saith Paul to his Colossians speaking of their estate before conversion Col. 1.21 When we were enemies we were reconciled to God saith the same Apostle to his Romans Rom. 5.10 Such a mutuall Enmity there is betwixt God and man God for sin hating man and man through sin hating God Such is the estate of man by Degeneration and Corruption A state of Enmity 3. And hereupon it was which is the third particular that Jesus Christ took upon him the Office of a Mediatour 3. A restoring of Amity that he might dissolve and destroy this ground-work of the Divell as Saint John speaketh 1 John 3.8 That he might slay this Enmity make up this Breach compose this difference restore that former love and amity That he might make reconciliation betwixt God and man A Mutuall Reconciliation Reconcillation by Christ mutuall Such was the Enmity which Satan had made A mutuall Enmity And such was the Reconciliation which Christ undertaketh A Mutuall Reconciliation To reconcile God unto man man unto God Which let it be taken notice of by-the way Socinian errour refuted And that against the Socinians and some other of the times who would have this Reconciliation to be onely on one part viz. on Man's part to God not of God's to man To this end saith one of them Christ came into the world not to reconcile God to man but man to God Paul Hobson's Serm. Christ the effect not the cause of the love of God pag. 47. As for God he was reconciled to his Elect from Eternity So as he not onely bare them no ill will but he bare them good will loving them and intending good unto them What then needeth any Reconciliation of his part The Reconciliation spoken of in Scripture say they is onely on Man's part When we were enemies we were reconciled to God Rom. 5.10 not God to us God was in Christ reconciling the world to himselfe 2 Cor. 5.19 not himselfe to the world But this opinion of theirs is justly censured and condemned by others as erroneous and hereticall Testimony to the Truth by the London Ministers p. 9. having no ground for it but
the ignorance of the Authors and Abettors who as it seemeth doe not understand the meaning of that phrase To be reconciled unto one To be reconciled unto one what is it but to be reingratiated To be reconciled to one the phrase expounded to be restored to grace and favour with him So the Princes of the Philistins understood the word 1 Sam. 29.4 where declaring their jealousie concerning David lest if he should go along with them he might betray them Wherewith say they should he reconcile himselfe to his Master c. i. e. Reingratiate himselfe make his peace with him procuring his grace and favour again In the same sense our Saviour adviseth the offending Brother that he should go and be reconciled to his Brother Matth. 5.24 i.e. Seek to make peace with him by confessing his fault and if need were making satisfaction And so in like manner the Apostle willeth the woman that had without cause deserted her husband Let her saith he be reconciled unto him 1 Cor. 7.11 i. e. Humble her selfe and seek the good will of her husband that he passing by her offence might receive her again as a wife being reconciled unto her And thus are men most properly said to be reconciled unto God when they do Redire cum Deo in gratiam when they are restored to his grace and favour again so as his wrath is appeased towards them and they are reingratiated with him But to leave them with whom happily I shall have occasion to deale somewhat more fully upon this point hereafter Hold we on our way The Reconciliation undertaken by Christ betwixt God and man is a Mutuall Reconciliation On God's part on Man's part 1. On God's part 1. On God's part the reconciling of God to man In this respect it is that Christ is said to have made peace Col. 1.20 And to be our Peace Ephes 2.14 i.e. the Authour of peace and reconciliation with God which he hath purchased by the Blood of his Crosse by making satisfaction unto the Justice of God This is the Reconciliation spoken of by the Angel Gabriel Dan. 9.24 Seventy weeks are determined c. to finish the transgression and to make an end of sins and to make reconciliation for iniquity This was the Messiah's work So the Apostle applieth it unto him Heb. 2.17 where speaking of this great high Priest he sets forth this to be the principall part of his work to make reconciliation for the sins of the people This was the work the most proper work of the Priests under the Law those Typicall Mediatours to reconcile God unto his people Lev. 8.15 by making Agreement for them Exod. 29.36 And this is the work of this Architypall Mediatour the Lord Jesus to reconcile God unto man So are we most properly to understand both those forenamed places which our Adversaries aforesaid conceive to speak so full for them That of the Apostle Rom. 5.10 When we were enemies we were reconciled unto God How why by the death of his Son by and through that satisfaction which Christ hath made to the Justice of God And that other 2 Cor. 5.19 God was in Christ reconciling the world to himselfe How The next words explain it not imputing the trespasses unto them pardoning the sins of his people accepting the satisfaction made by Christ on their behalfes which being applied unto the persons of believers now God is actually reconciled unto them Object Object But was he not so before Did not God love his Elect from eternity How then is he said to be reconciled to them Answ Answ To this it is answered True he did so Gods eternall love what Jacob have I loved So the Apostle Rom. 9.13 citeth that of the Prophet Malachy Mal. 1.2 3. which is to be understood not onely of Jacob's posterity the Israelites whom God preferred before the posterity of Esau the Idumaeans but of the person of Jacob. Thus God loveth the persons of his Elect and that before they have done either good or evill But what is that Love why only a gracious purpose of God towards them for the reconciling of them unto himselfe and receiving them into grace and favour with him This is the Love of God to his Elect not any complacencie and wel-pleasing that he hath in their persons so long as they are in a state of sin no the Apostle layeth down this for an irrefragable Conclusion Rom. 8.8 that They which are in the flesh in state of nature they cannot please God And the verse foregoing giveth a reason for it because the carnall mind or the minding or wisdome of the flesh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is Enmity against God Rebellious Subjects so long as they continue in that state of Rebellion cannot be pleasing to their Prince No more are rebellious sinners and such are God's Elect as well as others before conversion Ephes 2.3 to their God To the same purpose is that other Text Heb. 11.6 Without faith it is impossible to please God Neither the person nor services of an unbeliever can be well pleasing unto God And why Because it is by faith that the person is united unto Christ In whom God the Father is well pleased Mat. 3.17 In him it is that the persons of God's Elect come to be accepted He hath made us accepted in the beloved Ephes 1.6 God's eternall love then towards his Elect imports no more but a gracious purpose of reconciling them to himselfe in time Which is not actually done untill the Reconciliation purchased by Christ be effectually applied unto them through faith Now is God said to be reconciled unto them and not before Here is Reconciliation on God's part 2. On Man's part 2. On Mans part the reconciling of man to God Which is done by subduing and healing that rebellious principle of Enmity which is in the soul inclining the sinner to accept of Reconciliation being offered and tendred unto him to close with God upon his terms by faith to lay hold upon his grace and mercy in Christ yeilding up himselfe unto God taking and acknowledging him for his Soveraign Lord so as laying down and casting away the weapons of his rebellion abandoning what ever it is that might be offensive to him whatever it is that might alienate him from his God or his God from him thenceforth to walk before him to all well pleasing in newnesse of obedience all his dayes This is Reconciliation on Man's part Of which we may understand the Apostle to speak 2 Cor. 5.20 We pray you in Christ's stead be ye reconciled to God i.e. Accept the grace that is offered you in the Gospel imbracing it by faith indeavouring to walk worthy of it answerably to it Put these together Here is the great work for the effecting and procuring whereof the Lord Jesus undertook the Office of a Mediatour viz. a Mutuall Reconciliation betwixt God and man Reconciliation A blessed work Reconciliation a blessed Work Such is not
suppose it be directed to others men dead in trespasses and sins Such exhortations not uselesse to others yet such Exhortations are not uselesse unto them In as much as through those channels God is pleased to convey his grace and spirit wherby he enables them to do what hee requireth from them Thus in raising Jairus his daughter from the death-Bed our Saviour cals to her Talitha Cumi Damosell arise Mark 5.41 And in raising Lazarus from the grave he cries unto him Lazarus come forth Joh. 11.43 not that either the one or the other had power of themselves to do what was commanded but there was a power went forth together with the word like that which went forth with that Creating word at the first God said Let there be light and there was light Gen. 1. There was a power went forth with the word giving a being to that which was not Thus doth God cal things which are not as if they were Rom. 4.17 By his word making things to be what they were not And thus doth be call upon dead souls to awake and arise by and through his word conveying that spirit and power unto his Elect wherby they are inabled to do what of themselves they cannot The first Resurrection is a work of no lesse power no lesse difficulty then the second 5. To these adde in the fifth place Resemb 5. This spirituall resembles the corporall Resurrection in the Indisposition of the Subject In the indisposition of the Subject A dead Corps lying in the grave it hath no disposition no aptitude no inclination to rise again As it cannot raise it selfe so neither can it do any thing in a way of tendency towards its own resurrection It can no wayes fit or prepare it self for it Nay it cannot so much as will or desire it Even such an indisposition is there in a dead soul to this first Resurrection A soul dead in sin as it cannot raise it selfe to the life of grace so neither can it do any thing which tendeth that way Such an Impotency is there in man since the fall All are now by nature 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without power When we were yet without strength Christ died for us Rom. 5.6 Not able to contribute ought towards this blessed change Not able to do any thing by way of preparation to fit themselves for the receiving of the grace of God no nor yet so much as will and desire it when the grace of God first meeteth with man it findeth him a meer patient like a dead body lying in the grave having only a passive capacity rendring him a subject capable of receiving the impressions of grace and so of having a new life put into him Man hath not only an outward but an inward Impediment to this Resurrection So indisposed is man naturally to the work of God's grace not only having an outward Impediment as Papists and Arminians would have it like a Prisoner as some of them frame the similitude who having fetters upon his legs cannot walk but yet he hath an inward power in himselfe so to do if that outward impediment were removed Not onely so but man hath also an inward impediment Being like a dead carkass lying in the grave which though all the grave-clothes be taken from it yet it cannot move nor stir untill a new life be put into it Until God doth breathe the breath of a new life into the soul the man is whole indisposed unto this blessed change I might go a step further Man not only indisposed but averse to this Resurrection and shew you how he is not onely indisposed to this life but averse to it In which respect the first Resurrection goeth beyond the second The second Resurrection meeteth with a Body which though of it selfe it be indisposed to live again yet it maketh no resistance no opposition against its own resurrection But in the first Resurrection when God cometh to raise up a dead soul from the grave of sin he findeth it not only indisposed but opposite to it making resistance against the work of his grace Ye stiffe-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears ye do alwayes resist the Holy Ghost As your fathers did so do ye saith Saint Stephen to the Jewes Acts 7.51 To these I might yet add one more 6. This spirituall resembles the corporall Resurrection in the efficient causes of it Resemb 6. The Efficient Causes of it and that both Principall and Ministeriall and Instrumentall In the second Resurrection the Resurrection of the body the Principall Efficient is God himselfe the Ministeriall the Angels the Instrumentall the sound of a Trumpet You have them all together 1 Thes 4.16 The Lord himselfe shall descend from heaven with a shout with the voice of an Archangel and with the Trumpet of God and the dead in Christ shall arise Now see a resemblance of all these in the first Resurrection The same Principall Efficient God God quickneth the dead Rom. 4.17 as dead bodies so dead souls The like Ministeriall and Instrumentall Cause Herein God maketh use of his Angels Revel 2. 3. and of his Trumpet His Angels the Angels of the Churches the Ministers of the Gospell whom he now sendeth forth to gather together his Elect from the four winds from one end of Heaven to the other Mat. 24.31 His Trumpet is his word in the mouth of his Ministers A spirituall Trumpet shadowed out by those silver Trumpets under the Law by the sounding whereof the Priests called the people to the publick Assemblies on earth Numb 10.2 Thus do the Ministers of the Gospel by lifting up their voice like a Trumpet as it is given in charge to the Prophet Isaiah Isai 58.1 by preaching and publishing the Gospell they call men to the Kingdom of God Hereby awakening and raising them up The hour is coming and now is saith our Saviour when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God and they which hear it shall live John 5.25 Men dead in sin hear the voice of Christ in the Ministery of his Word and thereby the Spirit concurring with the Ordinance and giving efficacy to it they are quickned and raised up to a new spirituall and heavenly life Even as dead bodies shall be at the last day raised from their graves by the voice of an Arch-angel and sound of a Trumpet Thus then you see this Generall made out How that the first resurrection the resurrection of the soul from the death of sin to the life of righteousnesse carries with it the resemblance of a Resurrection resembling it in the Order in the Nature in the Integrity in the Difficulty of the work in the Indisposition of the Subject in the Efficient Causes of it both Principall Ministeriall and Instrumentall Now come we in the second place to see how it resembleth the Resurrection of Christ 2. The spirituall Resurrection resembles the Resurrection of Christ So it doth