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cause_n faith_n salvation_n work_n 5,482 5 6.3075 4 true
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ID Title Author Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) STC Words Pages
A17301 Grounds of Christian religion laid downe briefly and plainely by way of question and answer / by H.B. Burton, Henry, 1578-1648. 1631 (1631) STC 4143; ESTC S734 16,088 50

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so hath an interest to eternall life in and with Christ as fellow-heirs with him Q. Why doe you call faith in Christ a sauing faith A. To distinguish it from common historicall faith mentioned Iam. 2. 19. and to shew it to be an instrument of saluation by Christ. Q. Why doe you call it a liuing faith A. Because vniting the heart and soule to Christ there is a communion of spirituall life as Gal. 2. 20. this faith also working by loue whereby it is known from a dead faith as Iam. 2. 17. Q. Why call yee it a iustifying faith A. Not that it doth iustifie vs as an act or work but onely as an instrument applying Christs righteousnesse to our iustification Q. How is this faith wrought in the heart A. By the Spirit of Christ and that ordinarily by hearing the word preached Q. Why call you this faith a gift of grace A. Because it is not of our selues but it is the frée gift of God as Eph. 2. 8. Phil. 1. 29. Q. How is this faith stedfast A. In a twofold regard first of sure euidence secondly of perseuerance Q. May a beleeuer then be sure of his saluation by faith A. Yea hee is and ought to be so 2. Cor. 13. 5. Q. Doth not a beleeuer often doubt of his saluation A. Yes he may during some strong fit of temptation yet as the sunne vnder a cloud shineth all the while though we sée it not so faith vnder the cloud of temptation beléeueth truely though we féele it not Q. But may not this faith bee quite extinguished and lost for euer A. No not possibly Q. How so A. First because it is a frée gift of grace for the gifts and calling of God are without repentance Secondly because he that truely beléeueth hath eternall life and shall not come into condemnation but is passed from death vnto life Thirdly because Christ prayeth that our faith faile not whose prayer must néeds be effectual Fourthly because we are kept by the power of God through faith vnto saluation Fifthly from the nature of sauing grace Ier. 32. 40. and 1. Ioh. 3. 9. Q. Is not this a doctrine of presumption A. Nothinglesse it being a doctrine of singular comfort to Gods child to incourage and strengthen him against Satans temptations and owne infirmities as knowing that his faith shall not faile nor stands it with the nature of a true beléeuer to be carelesse of his saluation because he is sure of it sith he knoweth that saluation is not attained but by the meanes appointed of God he hath in him an inward principle of grace holding him on towards perfection Q. But doth faith onely iustifie Doe not workes also iustifie A. Faith onely iustifieth as an instrument and that perfectly in Gods sight works are said to iustifie before men but not before God as Rom. 4. 2. Iam. 2. 18. Q. But are not good workes necessary to saluation A. Yes but not as meritorious causes of saluation but onely as fruits of faith and duties of loue and they appointed vs to walk in to the kingdome being created in Christ Iesus vnto good workes that we should walk in them that according to them not for them we may freely receiue the recompense of reward Q. But are not beleeuers altogether freed from the morall Law by Christ it being that couenant of works made with Adam in Paradise before the fall do this and liue A. Christ the second Adam by his exact fulfilling of the Law and suffering the penalty of our transgressions hath fréed vs from the rigour and curse of it but yet he hath left it as a rule of direction for a holy life Q. How proue you that A. By the very manner of giuing the Law in mount Sina where before the decalogue or ten commandements the Lord saith I am the Lord thy God which haue brought thee out of the land of Egypt out of the house of bondage and thereupon inferreth Thou shalt haue no other Gods before mee c. Q. Why what is the meaning of those words I am the Lord thy God which brought thee out of the land of Egypt out of the house of bondage Q. They are not onely a history but a mystery containing a cléere type and figure of our redemption by Christ from our spirituall bondage vnder Satan and sinne So that that couenant in Sina being rightly and spiritually vnderstodd was not the first couenant of workes giuen to the first Adam but it was the very euangelicall the second Couenant of grace and faith giuen in Christ the second Adam Q. But the Apostle saith The Law is not of faith how then comes the law to be giuen vnder faith A. The law in that place is taken for the first couenant to wit of works which hath no communion with faith belonging to the second couenant But the Law as it is giuen in mount Sina the literall veile being remoued is not deliuered as the first couenant but as a rule of conuersation to the faithfull vnder the second couenant Q. But the Apostle calls the giuing of the Law in mount Sina the first couenant standing in opposition to the second as Agar to Sara the bond-woman to the free Sina to Sion and Ierusalem A. The Apostle compares it so only in regard of the literall killing sense to which the carnall Iew was captinated and thereby slaine while not looking vnto Christ the redéemer that brought them out of the spirituall Egypt and bondage they sought to be iustified by the workes of the Law which Saint Paul beates downe in that epistle to the Galatians But to the beléeuing Iew the Law was no other but the swéet yoake and light burthen of Christ. Q. Shew me then the proper differences between the first Couenant and the second A. The opposite differences betwéen the two couenants are these First the first couenant was of mans workes the second of Gods grace and these two are vnreconcileable Rom. 11. 6. The second The first couenant was made with Adam and all his posterity vniuersally the second onely with Abrahams séed called the womans séed Gen. 3. 15. to wit Christ and all the elect The third The first couenant stood vpon mans owne righteousnesse the second stands vpon anothers righteousnesse to wit Christs righteousnes made ours by imputation The fourth The first couenant stood vpon the mutability of mans will and therefore was quickly broken but the second stands firme vpon the sure foundation of Gods immutable vnchangeable will good pleasure and purpose in himselfe and so can neuer be broken called an euerlasting couenant The fifth The first was acouenant of iustice without mercy the second was a couenant of méere mercy Psal. 89. 28. yet in Christ iustice and mercy met together Psal. 85. 10. The sixt The first couenant had no other reward reuealed to the first Adam from the earth earthy but what was confined to the earthly Paradise but the secōd hath