Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	faith_n	righteousness_n	work_n	4,718	5	6.5009	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A48861	The glory of free grace display'd: or, The transcendant excellency of the love of God in Christ, unto believing, repenting sinners, in some measure describ'd Wherein, 1. The doctrine about election, and the covenant of reconciliation is explained. 2. The error of the antinomians, who assert, that the filth of sin was laid on Christ, and that the holiness as well as the righteousness of Christ is made the elects while in the womb, &c. With their abuse of free-grace particularly detected and confuted. 3. In what sense our sins were laid on Christ, and Christ's righteousness made the believers, according to the sacred scriptures, evinced. 4. The glory of irresistible-grace, as exerted in the conversion of a sinner in opposition to the Arminian, cleared. 5. A modest defence of the sober dominican, about physical predetermination.	Lobb, Stephen, d. 1699.	1680 (1680)	Wing L2724B; ESTC R218819	67,996	163

esteemed by the Father of our blessed Jesus as clean pure and holy or as if God could not set forth the Excellency of his Grace any other way than by lying under many a mistake These notwithstanding their pretence of exulting Free-Grace denying the Omniscience or Infinite knowledge of him who is All-wise and representing the Infallible God as liable to error do sadly abuse Free-Grace 3. To suggest that Free-Grace is glorified in the actual imputing Christs righteousness unto any while in unbelief as if the swearer or Sabbath breaker the drunkard or unclean person that delights in fornication and adultery might while so be an actual partaker of the special blessings of God or as if the Sanctification of the Spirit had been no way necessary to our Salvation is a sad abuse of Grace tending to the great dishonour of the infinite Holiness and purity of God But since God is not only Gracious but also is most holy Grace is not it cannot be revealed but in a way consistent with the glory of Divine Purity and Holiness But 4. Some there are who magnifie the Free-Grace of God by concealing that glorious discovery God hath made thereof in our Lord Jesus these are they who contend for the actual justification of all the Elect from Eternity as if Jesus Christ died to procure that for the Elect which they had before the Worlds were made or as if the decree of God his electing Will an Immanent act had been transient in the actual creating justifying and saving all the Elect from eternity that is as if they had been created millions of years before there was any creature Thus men on pretence of lifting up the Free-Grace of God do not only trouble the Churches with their confusion and variety of contradictions but morcover do lightly esteem the greatest Instance of Free-Grace the Elect ●…re capable of receiving viz. the Love of God in Christ For hereby God commendeth his Love to us that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us Rom. 5.8 Again God SO loved the World that he gave his only begotten Son Joh. 3.16 and without blood no Remission 5. There are others who in their abuse of Free-Grace do greatly reproach the Spirit of Christ and of God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ by asserting that the Elect are actually Justified in the womb even before they do believe yea while they are in a state of darkness and strang●… to the powerful working of Gods holy Spirit These are they who insist on Faith as necessary only for the procuring the knowledge of that justification which they actually had before 〈◊〉 But how do these men sin against the Spirit of God by reproaching its works as if the gr●…s of the Spirit had been of no esteem as if our Faith and Repentance our Love to God and 〈◊〉 ●…lking according to the Gospel of our 〈◊〉 Redeemer had been our sin T is true the 〈…〉 doth consider the Righteousness of the 〈…〉 and the Apostle concluded that his righteousness which was not done in Faith to be as dung in comparison of the righteousness of Christ And surely because of the many imperfections that attend our best performances we have cause to be humbled daily before the Lord and to apply our selves to the blood and righteousness of Christ for pardoning mercy But yet it must be still asserted that there is a difference between those graces that are the work of God's spirit in us and the imperfections which proceed from the remains of our old corruption for that which is the work of God's Spirit as such is not dung nor dross nor filth nor stinking rags much less filthy sins The Spirit of God is the Author of Faith and Love and other graces but the Spirit of God is not the Author of sin and filth The giving grace to the soul is the renewing the Image of God on the soul but the image of God doth not consist in sin and filth and stinking rags The believer in being a partaker of the graces of God's spirit is a partaker of the divine nature but the divine nature is not composed of sin or any filthy thing 'T is our duty to believe in Christ to love God c. but 't is not our duty to sin or wallow in any spiritual uncleanness Whence then such as do deny the necessity of saith in order to our being actually justified or such as do reproach the working of Gods holy spirit calling what is holy unholy what is pure impure reviling the divine nature reproaching Gods image on pretence of exalting free grace do greatly sin in abusing a great instance of free grace viz. The holy Spirit 's work unto which we are infinitely obliged For 't is the Spirit that doth begin carry on and finish the work of Sanctification on the soul whence although while we are in this life our Sanctification is but imperfect yet there is not one soul in Heaven one instant without perfect holiness But it may be you 'l quaery how it can be that the soul which while on earth is but imperfectly sanc●…fied should 〈◊〉 perfectly purged from the filth of sin when in Heaven I Answer There are several sorts of men who talk as if they had been fully acquainted with the whole counsel of God and as if they could give a particular account of the methods of divine operations hence some are confident enough to assert that the perfect purgati-on of the filth of sin must be either by the Spirit in this life or by a purgatory fire in the other The one asserts perfection not only of parts but of degrees attainable here and consequently denies the necessity of Ordinances c. The other viz. the Papists conclude that as some arrive to perfection here others do not e're they arrive unto the purgatery sire but the Antinomian presumes to say that our perfect Sanctification must be by Christ's Holiness even as our compleat Justification is by Christs Righteousness But I have already shewn That our perfect Sanctification which consists in the removal of the filth of every sin is not done by the Holiness of Christ Neither is it possible that any material flames should be adjusted for the cleansing the soul which is a Being spiritual and Immaterial Materiale non agit in immateriale It is done then by the Spirit when not in this life for until the body of Sin be put off there will be the remainders of old lusts * Note 1 King 8.46 Prov. 20.9 Eccl. 7.20 1 Joh. 1.8 No meer man since the Fall ever arriv'd unto a state of sinless perfection in this life which are inconsistent with a Sanctification that is perfect with a perfection of degrees Doth it you it may be will say enter into Heaven with its imperfections i.e. Spots and Filth Ans No surely for no Spot can have an admittance into that holy place Doth the departed soul make its stay after it passeth from the body e're

his infinitely free love as to purpose the actual giving unto some sincere faith and sound repentance that so they might be saved God would not that All should perish and therefore although the wickedness of all was great yet the Lord determined to extend his infinite grace to some that they might by receiving faith from God and all those other graces which are the merits and purchase of Christs blood c. and the work of Christ's Spirit be eternally saved The eternal purpose of giving this superabundant grace is called Election about which observe these following particulars 1. God hath Elected some to life everlasting This is acknowledged by the Remonstrants who have corrupted this doctrine in part and shall be proved in the confirmation of the following particulars 2. The Election or foreknowledge of God is of a certain select number of particular persons known unto the Lord from all eternity whom he foreknew those he predestinated Rom. 8.29 The Lord knoweth who are his 2 Tim. 2.19 and calleth them by name John 10.3 Jacob have I loved Rom. 9.13 Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee and ordained thee a prophet to the nations Jer. 1.5 Jeremiah in particular was from eternity known unto the Lord viz. The great God from everlasting foreknew and predestinated this and consequently every other particular elect person to their work here and glory hereafter 3. Election being an act of the Divine will an immanent and an eternal act 't is most free we cannot suppose any thing to precede what is eternal God's election therefore is according to the good pleasure of his will Ephes 1.5 The elect being predestinated or fore-ordained according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his will Ephes 1.11 For the mystery of Gods will which is made known unto us is according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself ver 9. 'T was not the foresight of Faith and good works that moved God to elect any the principal cause of election being the will of God the eternal purpose of God 4. The select Number of particular persons who were from eternity most freely fore-ordained to be saved are ordained to Salvation in and through the Lord Jesus Christ According as he hath chosen us in Christ before the Foundation of the world having predestinated us unto the Adoption of Children by Jesus Christ Eph. 1.4,5 Yea God hath appointed us to Obtain Salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ 1 Thes 5.9 5. The unalterable determination and purpose of God is that such as are ordained to be saved through Christ be regenerated and renewed in their minds by the powerful working of the holy Spirit According as he hath chosen us in him that we should be Holy and without blame before him in love Ephes 1.4 For whom he did foreknow he did predestinate to be conformed to the Image of his Son Rom. 8.29 whence t is said that we are created in Jesus Christ unto good works in which God hath fore-ordained that we should walk Ephes 2.10 For God hath chosen you unto Salvation through the Sanctification of the Spirit 2 Thessal 2.13 1 Pet. 1.2 The Improvement followeth 1. That the Lord left not the whole lump of mankind to perish in eternal misery but resolved the Salvation of some is fully of grace 2. That the Most High condescendeth so infinitely as to regard the Low estate of faln man affording suitable helps for the effectual engageing some to lay hold on eternal life is of grace The Lord gives Grace and Glory and every good thing to a Select Number which is the ture reason why any are saved But that which is surprizing is this 3. That the Worst of men who appear to be vessels of wrath have been endured with much long-suffering Surely 't is not the Decree that hath any such causality in it as doth effect mans sin a Detestanda abominanda opinio est quae Deum cujusquam malae voluntatis aut malae actionis credit Authorem cujus praedestinatio nunquam extra bonitatem nunquam extra justitiam Adulteria non instruere novit sancta Divinitas sed damnare nec disponere sed punire Aug. resp ad art sibi impos art l. 10. Posset enim peccatum aliquod ex praedestinatione Dei esse Si posset aliquis hominum justè peccare Nullus autem hominum justè peccat quamvis eum Deus justè peccare permittat Fulgent ad Mon. de praed lib. 1. Decreta nil ponunt in esse Man's sin is from himself and his destruction is but the product of his own obstinacy and rebellion Oh the many exhortations sincere calls pressing and Pathetical invitations that are given all to return unto God that they may live and how doth the Lord wait to be gracious exercising the greatest patience in bearing the affronts of vile sinners so long 4. It must be duly remembred b Ego hoc dico quod dixi quia quicquid Deusagit miserecorditer juste sanctèque facit non potest tantum justus dici Deus aut solùm misericors sed Justus et misericors Sic legimus sic credimus August Resp ad calumn Pelagianor That the Lord in exalting Free-Grace regards the glory of his other most excellent attributes viz. his Holiness and Righteousness and in both his Infinite Wisdom I 'le only hint in this place somewhat concerning the glorification of Free-Grace in a way consistent with his Holiness Although the Lord hath wonderfully discovered himself to be the Lord God Gracious and Merciful Long-suffering slow to anger and abundant in goodness yet still the Lord is holy yea he is the Holy Holy Holy Lord God of Hosts shewing himself to be so by his love to holiness in the creature and by his abhorrence unto sin that is most contrary thereunto and accordingly as the determination is to save some it is further as hath been prov'd through the sanctification of the Spirit Oh then let none presume to say If they are elected they shall be saved though they remain wallowing in their sin No No Reader this is not so for without holiness no seeing the face of God 1 Heb. 12.14 Out of Christ no Salvation and to remain Unsanctified Unholy and in sin is to be out of Christ give therefore all dilligence to make thy election sure by being savingly Called to the Leading a new which is an holy life But of this more Hereafter CHAP. III. A second Instance of grace Adding light unto the former shewing how the gracious decree is accomplished notwithstanding the difficulty The Covenant between God the Father and the Son which is the Covenant of reconciliation or the Mediatorial Covenant discovered in some of its particulars The use shewing how grace is hereby glorified THat God might effectually accomplish the Salvation of any in a way consistent with the glory of his Holiness Righteousness Truth and Faithfulness and accordingly see the Execution of the