Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n
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A39886
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Nehushtan, or, John Elliot's Saving grace in all men proved to be no grace and his increated being in all a great nothing by J.F.
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J. F. (James Forbs), 1629?-1712.; Elliot, John. Saving grace of God.
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1694
(1694)
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Wing F1444; ESTC R29851
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45,242
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37
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blindness of their Heart then that which is in them is meer Darkness and no Gospel Light they can know nothing of Evangelical Verities and whatever is of supernatural Revelation from any thing within themselves The former is true Luke 1.79 Ephes 4.18 Therefore also the latter If that which is in Heathens is the Devil and the Spirit of the Devil then that which is in them is not the Spirit of God for what Communion hath Light with Darkness What Concord hath Christ with Belial 2 Cor. 6.14 15. The former is true Ephes 2.2 Act. 26.18 Col. 1.13 Joh. 8.44 1 Joh. 3.8 I call this but one Argument for it is diversified only with respect to the several denominations which J. E. gives unto that which is in every Man without Restriction or Limitation I humbly leave it to those that are impartial whether this alone is not of sufficient force cogency and validity utterly to overthrow the very Foundation of John's Book and consequently whether the whole of the Superstructure is not also therewith overthrown and whether I deserved such hard words for calling not that which is in True Believers and a special Work of the sanctifying Spirit of God a great nothing but that which is nominally only and equivocally called the saving Grace of God in All Turks and Mahometans Heathens and Pagans Papists and Atheists Where Foundation and Superstructure are both naught these will not be able to bear the trial by fire 1 Cor. 3.11 12 13 14 15. But I pass from this to the disquisition of what I have seen cause chiefly to insist on which you may take in this categorical Proposition Thesis or Position The saving Grace of God in True Believers is no Increated Being That which is Grace in those that are Christians indeed is a Creature a mere Creature and an imperfect Creature For methods sake and a regular procedure herein 1. I shall set down some Preliminaries tending to a right stating of the Question or the Thing in controversie between us and to the clearing of some things ignorantly and confusedly delivered by the Author of the saving Grace of God 2. It 's needful there should be some Definition or Description given of Grace otherwise we are like Men beating the Air disputing of we do not know what 3. Having given one or two descriptive Defintions of Grace we shall by express Scripture Testimonies and Arguments from thence deduced prove the Thesis Grace in Believers is no Increated but a Created Being 4. What is said of this Theme and Subject is to be improved by us and in order thereunto I shall give you some practical Inferences from all the premisses 1. Preliminary There is no Person or positive Entitie in Heaven or Earth but what 's Created of the Lord Jehova Father Son and Spirit Sin being no positive Entitie but privative properly hath no efficient but rather a deficient Cause This is a Principle and the Foundation of all Religion therefore it 's the first Lecture read from Heaven to us by him that was the first authorized Amanuensis of the Holy Ghost in Penning some Part of the Sacred Oracles Gen. 1.1 See also Acts 17.24 God made the World and all things therein If Grace be one of those things that 's in Heaven or Earth then it is to be reckoned among the number of Created Beings but Grace is one of those things that 's in Heaven or Earth Therefore 2. Preliminary follows upon the former The word Increate signifieth that which is not created or made at all Hence the Argument runs thus If Grace be that which is not created or made at all it must be Self-existent Independent the first Being and Creator of the Universe But it 's not Self-existent Independent the first Being nor the Creator of the Universe therefore it 's no Increated Being It 's a true saying in School Divinity omne ens est vel Primum vel à primo ortum whence if Grace be Increate it must be the first Being from which every other Being derive theirs 3. Preliminary There is a passage in my Opponents Pamphlet pag. 26. which savours so much of unsoundness Heterodoxy and scandalous Ignorance in this our Goshen or Land of Light that I cannot let it pass without some Animadversion His Words are speaking of Grace in his fence It is of his divine saving nature but yet not the only entire God Eternal Jehova Doth not this imply that Grace is God though not Jehova and doth not this imply that Jehova is a divisible and compounded Being Jehova is the entire God and the English of our Authors Phrase is Grace is a piece or part of Jehova This occasions my third Preliminary as an Antithesis hereunto Deus est ens simplicissimum God is an uncompounded and indivisible Being and this is one thing that doth distinguish him from all created Beings Simplicity says Nort. Orthod Evang. is God one mere and perfect Act without all composition his name is I AM Exod. 3.14 that is mere essence wherein is nothing past nor to come from what is there more largely treated of I contract this Argument If God does admit of composition it is either a composition of Parts which are bounded by quantity or of Matter and Form or of General and Special Nature or of a Subject and Accident or of an Act and Possibility or of a Person and Nature or of Being and Individuation But God doth not admit of any of these Compositions therefore of none at all the enumeration is full and complete else the defect must be shewed 4. Preliminary The Divine Essence is incommunicable to Creatures When some of the Attributes and Perfections of God are said to be communicable unto Men all such Predications are Analogical and Equivocal Deus creaturae nihil habent commune praeter nomen Any resemblance that Man hath unto God is very low mean dark and shadowy notwithstanding of any likeness between God and Man The disproportion and distance between them is still as great as between Infinite and Finite Perfect and Imperfect Perfection and Imperfection that which is Eternal and that which is of Yesterday as between that which is the Supreme Being and that which is only subordinate as between that which is Independent and Dependent as between him that is Essentially All and that which is Originally nothing Whatever it is that Man is or whatever it is that is in Man compared with God it is imperfection it self and as nothing Isai 40.17 All Nations before him are as nothing and they are counted to him less than nothing and vanity The Essence of God says Nort. Orthod Evang. p. is that one pure Act of God by which he is God Deus est necesse esse God could never have been any other than what he is God cannot hereafter cease to be any other than what he now is and ever was This is the Signification of Jehova He that was He that is He that is to
After he hath drawn out your Affections to be in a Holy Flame of servent Love to the Lord Jesus you have thrown Water upon this Fire that he hath kindled in you Is it not matter of humbling to you That you have so often sinned against light and Knowledge That you have acted contrary to the Dictates and Convictions of your own Consciences Is it not matter of humbling That you have so often silenced Conscience and lulled it asleep when it was about to lay your Sin before you in all the Aggravations thereof You have been but little in that All in that necessary Duty of Seâ—â—-examination and when you have gone about it you have not been so thorough therein as you should have been when Conscience hath been ready to bring in an impartial Verdict as to the present State of your Souls have ye not flattered your selves as if all might go well enough with you notwithstanding of your living in the neglect and omission of some Duties and your taking too much Latitude as to some Sins It is not matter of humbling That you Hearts have so often deceived you Have you not often and often thought that such a particular Lust had been so mortified that you should never have heard of it any more and yet ye have been mistaken Is it not matter of humbling That the Sin which doth so easily beset you hath given you so much disturbance that it hath taken you off from so many a good Work which otherwise ye would have been about It hath distracted your Spirits when you have been in Duties it hath led you into many a sinful Snare out of which ye have not been able to extricate your selves without difficulty it hath set you back in your way to Heaven and hath hindred your growing in Grace it hath much interrupted your Communion with God and caused an eclipse of the Light of his Countenance so that you have not had the bright Shinings thereof as otherwise you might have had May it not be matter of humbling That your Humiliation hath not been proportioned to your Sins and Provocations You have had a long time of sinning but your Sorrow hath been of a short continuance You have sinned greatly and have sorrowed but little It is but seldom ye have offered up to God that excellent Sacrifice of a broken Heart and a contrite Spirit Is it not matter of humbling That ye have mis-spent so much precious time Some part of it hath been spent in Idleness doing nothing some in sinning some in doing that which signifies little for Soul-advantage Is it not matter of humbling That ye have prosited so little by all the Ordinances that have been administred to you time after time and by all the Providences of this day in general and towards your selves in particular Is there not cause to say Ab our leanness our leanness notwithstanding of the many Soul-fructifying Seasons of Grace we have had See Luke 13.7 8. Isa 5.69 Is it not matter of humbling that you have lived so long in the World and have been so little serviceable to the Son of God who gave himself unto death for you and that you have been so little useful unto others in the places where you have been set Is it not matter of humbling That your Ignorance of Divine things is so great and your Knowledge so small that ye have been for so long a time Learners in the School of Christ and yet the things whereof ye are ignorant are more than the things you know Heb. 5.12 Is it not matter of humbling That ye have manifested so much imprudence and indiscretion in managing your secular Concerns Have ye not in many things leaned too much to your own Understanding whereby your Wisdom hath appeared to be Folly Have ye hearkned to Prov. 3.6 7 Is it not matter of humbling That notwithstanding of all your Gifts and Graces Piety and Prudence you cannot prevent Disappointments Crosses Losses Troubles and Tryals in the World neither can you give Success to your Undertakings or Actings The Race is not to the Swift nor the Battle to the Strong neither yet Bread to the Wise nor yet Riches to Men of Vnderstanding but time and chance happeneth to them all Eccles 9.11 Is it not matter of humbling That notwithstanding all the Grace ye have you are so often put to a non-plus in your own Thought that you know not what to do When ye have consulted your selves considered all Circumstances hearkned to whatsoever that within you can suggest yet ye find cause enough still for your going unto others for Counsel and Advice and when ye have been with them and have all they can say unto you you come away as wise as ye went Is it not matter of humbling that ye are so variable sickle uncertain and inconstant One hour seemingly fix'd in your Resolves to do so and so next hour unresolved again Love to day hate to morrow One Week on the Mount with the most High If all forsake thee I never will next Week at the Foot of the Mount Grace at as low an Ebb as well it can be Psal 30.6 7. Is it not matter of humbling That ye have so often administred occasion to the Ignorant and Wicked to speak evil of the pure Religion which ye profess and of those Holy Ways in which ye Walk that ye have no more adorned the Doctrine of God our Saviour with a Conversation in all things according to the Gospel and that ye have so often sadned the Spirits of those whom God would not have sadned Rom. 2.24 Is it not matter of humbling That ye are no more humbled for the Sins of others among whom ye live God is dishonoured at a high rate every where Prophaneness is countenanced and encouraged in most places all seriousness in Religion is ridiculed They whose Work it should be to take People off their Sins and to put them in a fair Way for Heaven and Glory are so far from minding the Conversion of Sinners and the Salvation of Souls that they do what in them lies to obstruct whatever hath a Tendency hereunto They neither enter into the Kingdom of Heaven themselves nor suffer others to enter They that should impartially execute Justice and Righteousness between Man and Man do no such thing but rather the contrary they patronize Impiety and are a Terrour to them that do well and yet ah How few are there who lay these things to Heart Ezek. 9.4 Psal 119.136 2 Pet. 2.7 8. Is it not matter of humbling That there is so little of a truly publick Spirit in this day of ours even among those that profess themselves Followers of the Lamb the Lord Jesus Every one minds his own things few or none the things of Christ Phil. 2.21 There is little of a true Zeal for God and his Glory and against Sin as such Is it not matter of humbling That you have so little of a true hearty Love for