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

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A79435	Yahweh Tsidkenu or The plain doctrin of the justification of a sinner in the sight of God; justified by the God of truth in his holy word, and the cloud of witnesses in all ages. Wherein are handled the causes of the sinners justification. Explained and applied in six and twenty sermons, in a plain, doctrinal and familiar way, for the capacity, and understanding of the weak and ignorant. By Charles Chauncy president of Harvard Colledge in Cambridge in New-England.	Chauncy, Charles, 1592-1672.	1659 (1659)	Wing C3739; Thomason E979_11; ESTC R222074	232,660	312

that imputeth If any man doth perfectly perform those things that the Law commandeth the reward of righteousness is imputed to him according to debt for this hath the foundation in himself and his perfect performance but if a man works not but having transgressed the Law beleeveth to him the reward of righteousness is accounted according to grace for it hath a foundation out of himself in anothers performance viz. in Christ Which the Apostle proves vers 5. To him that works not c. If the imputation should bee made according to the foundation that is in himself sin should bee imputed to condemnation for hee is ungodly but now faith is accounted to the ungodly for righteousness therefore this must bee founded on the grace of him that imputes The former kind of imputation is onely by way of supposition and no man was ever justified by it in the sight of God but the latter is the common way whereby Abraham and all beleevers are justified in Gods sight Object It seems to bee an unrighteous act and implies falsehood to impute righteousness to a sinner as it is to impute sin to a righeeous person Prov. 17.15 To justify the wicked and condemn the righteous are both an abomination to the Lord and the contrary is reputed an act of Gods justice 1 King 8.32 Exod. 34.7 Answ It is against Law and justice to justify the wicked without cause when there is no satisfaction made by the offender himself or by any other on his behalf suitable to the will of the persons offended and persons concerned do consent but now when God justifies and imputes righteousness to the ungodly having received a full and sufficient satisfaction by his sons obedience this is no unjustice at all but every way most just the Lord Jesus and the father being content and consenting to it 2 There is no falshood in this imputation of righteousness because God can call things that are not as though they were Rom. 4.17 and hee doth truely make those righteous whom hee justifies by his imputed righteousness Rom. 8.4 that the righteousness of God might be fulfilled in us which if it be meant of imputed righteousnesse as it is commonly taken the phrase shews it to bee as really ours as if wee had done it our selves if it bee taken of inherent righteousness as some of the learned take it it shews that where this imputed righteousnesse is there is also inherent as an effect thereof though it bee but imperfect begun and an effect of the former Object But this imputed righteousnesse is but a work of the thought and Cogitation only and is not a real matter therefore is not to bee rested in Answ This Righteousness that is imputed is really given to beleevers it is called the gift of Righteousness Rom. 5.17 that which is given is really our own to all such purposes wherein it may concern us Object But if Christs righteousness bee Imputed to us then it seems to follow that the beleever is as righteous as Christ and therefore every beleever is a redeemer and a Saviour of others for Christ was so Answ This will not follow because 1 The beleever is still a sinner in himself so was not Jesus Christ the righteous 2 Because the vertue that is in the head is communicated to all the members it doth not therefore follow that every member is thereby made a head to have such an influence into all the other members as the head hath 3 Redeemer Saviour Surety c. are denominations proper to him as he is a pay-master and satisfier of the Law in the behalf of others and not as any thing is due from himself and although his righteousnesse by a Legal Imputation to us and acceptation on our behalf is called ours and wee may bee properly said to bee righteous in his righteousness yet his surety-ship as such cannot bee imputed ours hence none of those denominations as of Saviour Redeemer c. So that though we be pay-masters and satisfiers of the Law under this imputation and by Gods account yet we are not therefore sureties or redeemers For it is proper to us onely to bee redeemed not to be redeemers So that the righteousness of Christ whereby hee satisfies the Law is applyed by imputation to the beleever not his Surety-ship Redeemer-ship because proper onely to the Redeemer and not communicable to the redeemed so much as by imputation for Redeemer and Redeemed are Relata ergo opposita neither doth the Law in demanding Satisfaction look at Surety-ship but paiment whether it bee in the person of the offender or of the surety Therefore this objection falls to the ground as vain and frivolous for though the Law calls a sinner perfectly righteous in his justification yet it calls him not a surety or a Redeemer for the Law calls not for a Surety c. but accounts the sinner as righteous touching the demands of the Law as one that never brake the Law yea as the Surety himself made under the Law for satisfaction to the Law by Active or Passive Obedience do equally dismiss or acquit the person that is under it from the Guilt Curse or Condemnation of it Reas 1. Taken from the union of the beleever with Christ for being once made one with Christ all his benefits become his so that the righteousnesse of the head is communicated to all his members The oyntment on the head of Aaron ran down on his skirts and members Thus Paul desired to bee found in Christ not having his own righteousnesse Phil. 3.9 hee desired the righteousnesse which is through faith i. e. imputed righteousnesse apprehended by faith and hee shews the reason why it is made the beleevers because we are found in him that is ingrafted into his Mystical body and are made one Mystical person with him and this will serve to answer Popish objections Obj. How can a man bee made righteous by another mans righteousnesse more than rich by another mans riches Ans Though the righteousnesse bee compared to a Garment in Scripture yet the Person of Christ is really united to the beleever which cannot be spoken of a garment Besides also Christ's imputed righteousnesse there is also imparted righteousnesse Reas 2. From the compar son between the first and second Adam for as Adams transgression of the Law of God is imputed to all his posterity and that in respect thereof they are reputed sinners and accursed and liable to eternal death so also Christs obedience whereby he fulfilled the Law is so imputed to the members of his Mystical body that in regard of God they stand as innocent justified and accepted to eternal life The Argument is Pauls Rom. 5.19 As by one mans disobedience many are made sinners so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous Vers 17. As by one mans offence death reigned by one much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousnesse shall reign in life by

1 Joh. 2.1 the Father is in this case the Judge the Son the Advocate The Creation which is especially ascribed to the Father is wronged by sin Secondly The Father is the Fountain of Justification in opposition to the Creature for justification as it is in man is meerly passive and therefore doth pre-suppose the action of another justifying us and of whom but of God as Rom. 3.30 God is one who shall justifie c. And again Gal. 3.8 God would justifie c. and that of Rom. 8.30 Those whom he called he justified c. Hee that justifieth is the same with him that calleth and predestinates and that is God Quest What are we to understand by the justification of a Sinner in the sight of God Answ The meaning of Justification God is said to justifie a Sinner not because he doth infuse righteousnesse or makes him fit to doe such things as are just which is the error of the Papists placing justification first in the infusing the habits and then in the Acts of Grace or good works flowing from those habits wherewithall they intermingle a kind of remission of sin But God is said therefore to justifie because by his judicial proceedings or sentence he absolves and acquits Sinners from the guilt of sin with the punishment thereof and accepts them as just persons unto life eternal This might be many ways proved but for brevity sake rest in this That justification in the Scripture is wont to be opposed to accusation and condemnation as Prov. 17.15 Rom. 8.33 Quest But to what purpose serves Christ then in the Popish Justification Ans Hee hath merited that grace for sinners that they might merit and justifie themselves but herein they make Christ the Causa sine qua non as Logicians speak that is such as hath no real influence on the effect yea they ascribe more to the good works of sinners than they doe to the merits of Christ for Christs merits by their Assertion doe but make us justifiable which is a woeful delusion and at the best implicite blasphemy Quest But doth it belong to God only to justifie Answ 1. How can it be otherwise since it belongs to none to justifie but to him to whom it belongs to judge now the Lord is the supreme Judge all power of judging in Spiritual regards being taken from the creature Rom. 14.4 Who art thou that judgest another mans servant to his own Master hee stands or falls And vers 10. Why dost thou judge thy brother we shall all stand before the Judgement Seat of Christ. Mortal man must not be an everlasting Judge yea the Apostle goes further 1 Cor. 4.3 and saies he passes little to bee judged of them or by mans judgement yea saies he I judge not my self i. e. no other man had power to judge him nor himself to judge himself who then hath power And vers 4. to shew who was the Judge to pardon or condemn he saies Hee that judgeth me is the Lord. 2 It appears from the nature of justification in that the word justification is taken from Courts of Justice and juridical proceedings in Scripture use and signifies the sentence of absolution and is opposed to condemnation Prov. 17.15 To justifie the wicked c. Psal 143.3 Enter not into judgement c. and in the text it signifies remission of sins and imputation of righteousnesse so that none but God can justifie because none but God can forgive Mark 2.7 and God takes it to himself Isa 43.25 I have put away thy transgressions c. Rom. 4.6 God imputeth righteousnesse without works God must doe it or it will never be done Besides in justification there is the Will of God not to punish or not to impute Psal 32.1 2. and a discharge from the Curse and Wrath of God Rom. 8.1 3 4. 3 It appears by the Concomitants and fruits of justification which God only can bestow as blessednesse Psal 32.1 communion with God peace of conscience joy in the Holy Ghost Rom. 5.1.3 and freedome of accesse to the Throne of Grace but who keeps the key of Gods Presence-chamber but himself Who can admit us to communion with God but himself Spiritual blessings and priviledges are farre out of the reach of any Creature and have no Steward but Gods own Spirit from whence this joy is called 1 Thes 1.6 The joy of the Holy Ghost Vse 1. Let this serve for confutation of such as either divide justification between God and man or else utterly exclude God from being the efficient cause of which sort are the Papists who fancy a double justification First in infusing habits of grace whereby they are prepared to justifie themselves the Lord of his grace purging away their sins Of this they grant God to be in part the efficient cause joyning mans free will concurring with him as a burthen too heavie for God alone to bear which is in truth that which Protestants call Regeneration Secondly in improving their gracious habits or qualities infused whereby they are every day more and more righteous and in this they place their merits for eternal life And in this justification which is in truth that which the Protestants call Sanctification they deny God to be the efficient cause But the Scripture makes but one Justification whereof one God is the Author Rom. 3.30 Seeing it is one God that shall justifie c. i. e. All the faithful are justified alike And this admits not of divers degrees but is all at once though the manifestation sense and assurance of it may be by divers degrees Vse 2. This may serve for unspeakable terror to all that have lived in enmity and rebellion against God and still goe on in their grievous provocations Whom doe they provoke to anger Is it not the Lord who alone doth and can justifie a sinner in his sight Jam. 4.12 There is one Law-giver that hath power to save and to destroy there is none else that hath either power or authority to save a poor Sinner from Death or Hell God saith Exod. 23.7 I will not justifie the wicked i. e. that still goe on in their wickednesse and none can doe it besides him Many vile wretches will either deny or justifie themselves in their wickednesse as it is said of the Pharisees Self justifiers in a sad estate Luke 16.15 10.29 and with the Harlot in the Proverbs can carry it out with their lyes and brazen faces and purse and friends in earthly Courts and whatsoever their cause is will finde some like themselves to acquit them but these are but inferiour Courts the Cause must bee tried again in an higher Court before the supream Judge from whom there can be no escape whose sentence no creature can avoyd or abide Hee knows all hearts and mens privie pranks who will justly condemn what the world hath unjustly commended and force them to say with Job 9.20 If I justifie my self mine own mouth shall condemn me yea