Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	formal_a	justification_n	righteousness_n	6,175	5	8.2431	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A25294	The substance of Christian religion, or, A plain and easie draught of the Christian catechisme in LII lectures on chosen texts of Scripture, for each Lords-day of the year, learnedly and perspicuously illustrated with doctrines, reasons, and uses / by that reverend and worthy laborer in the Lord's vineyard, William Ames ...	Ames, William, 1576-1633.	1659 (1659)	Wing A3003; ESTC R6622	173,739	322

neither as to their worth nor as to their durance nor by any love-worthy quality Reas. 3. Because to this we are called that denying our selves and leaving the world we may seek the Kingdome of God and his righteousnesse and glory Reas. 4. Because while we believe and hope in Christ and have the eyes of our mind set upon him as our Captain and patterne of our salvation we must be changed into his likenesse and image 1 Ioh. 3. 3. 2 Cor. 3. 18. Use 1. Of Direction for discerning of our condition whether we have any such faith and hope or no. Use 2. Of Exhortation to stirre up and rouse our mindes to a more earnest and diligent study and care of all godlinesse The three and twentieth Lords day Rom. 3. 24 25. Verse 24 Bei●…g justified freely by his grace through the r●…demption that is in Iesus Christ. 25 Whom God ●…ath ●…et forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood to declare his right●…ousnesse for the r●…mission of sinnes that are past through the 〈◊〉 of God THe Apostle had before proved that all mankind was unde●… most grievous guilt of sin a●…d therefore had need of justification that they might be saved which justification also he had sh●…wn that it could not be had from any 〈◊〉 no●… from the Law which he had set down as the conclusion of his discourse●… in the 20 verse of this Chapter From then●…e he also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 further 〈◊〉 justification is of necessity to be 〈◊〉 in that way of the Gospell which is proposed in Christ Jesus The whole dispute may be summed up in this Syllogisme Men are either justified by Nature or by Law or by the Gospell But neither by Nature nor by the Law and therefore of necessity by the Gospell The Proposition is presupposed and tacitly understood as manifest in it self The Assumption is prov●…d in the first part of the Epistle unto the 21. verse of this Chapter The Conclusion is proposed and illustrated in that 21. verse to the end of that Chapter and afterwards The words in our Text set down contain a description of this Gospell-justification And it is described 1. From its principal and highest cause God Whom God appointed 2. From the manner of this cause which consists not in comm●…tative justice that gives like for like or so much for so much nor yet from distributive justice which looks at the worth of men and deales with them in a proportionable manner but in meer and pure grace or free favour in these words we are iustified freely of his free grace or free favour where a singular emphasis or force of speech is laid on this part of the description by this doubling or repetion freely and of his fr●…e favour 3. It is is described from its impulsive or meritorious cause which becomes also in some sort the formal cause of our ●…ustification to wit our redemption ma●…e by Iesus Christ. 4. From its instrumental cause which is faith by faith in his blood 5. From its final cause which is the manifestation of the justice and mercy of God for shewing of his justice c. Doct. 1. It is God that justifieth us He is said to justify us not in that he in●…useth righteousness unto us or makes us fit to do things that are just which is the errour of Papists placing justification first in the infusion of the habits of faith hope and charity and next in the good works that comes from those habits with which they mix a certain sort of remission of sinnes But therefore he is said to justify us because by his judicial sentence he absolves us from the guilt of all sin and accepts or accounts of us as fully just and righteous for eternal life by the righteousness of Christ which he giveth us This appears from hence that this justification is used in Scripture to be opposed unto a charging with crimes and unto condemnation Rom. 8. 33. And this is done of God as it were by these degrees 1. In his eternal counsell and decree because from eternity he intended to justify us 2. In our head Christ rising again from the dead we were virtually justified in some sort actually as in Adam sinning all his posterity were virtually condemned to death by the Law and in some sort actually because in some sort actual sinners 3. He justifies us fullier actually and formally in our selves and not onely in our head when by his Spirit and our faith the work of his Spirit he applies Christ unto us to our justification 4. And further yet he justifies us actually and formally to our sense and feeling when by our own reflex knowledge and examination of our estate he gives us to perceive this application of Christ made and so to have peace and ●…oy in him Reas. 1. Because ou●… sins from which we ought to be justified are done against the majesty of God 1 Sam 2. 25. And none can forgive an offence done against another or an injury done to another in a proper way of speaking Reas. 2. Because the guiit of sin depends on the obligation of the Law and of divine justice and truth And therefore cannot be taken away but by him that is above the Law and knowes what is agreeable to his own truth and meaning in the first making of it Reas. 3. Because by justification we are received into the favour of God and life eternal and God himself in some sort is given unto us all which can no otherwise be done but by God himself alone Use 1. Of Refutation against Papists who set down manners and means of justification from humane tradition and their owne authority unto ●…retched men as if it were in their power to justi●…ie men after what way they please when it is God ●…lone that justifieth and that therefore prescribes ●…he manner and means of justification onely Use 2. Of Consolation as it is set down Rom. 8. 33. Who shall lay any thing to our charge it is God that justifi●…th And verse 31. If God be for us who can be against ●…s Doct. 2. This justification is meer pure and infinite grace or favour So in the Text freely his free favour The grace of God in justification appears as it were by these degrees 1. In that God pursues not his right against us and our sins according to that rigour that his Law might have been taken in and his revenging justice might have extended its self to but left place for some reconciliation 2. In that being himself the party offended yet he himself of his own good-will both invented appointed or ordered and revealed both the manner and means of this reconciliation 3. In that he spared not his onely begotten Son for procuring of this reconciliation 4. That without any merits or worth of ours he ingrafts us into his Son and our Lord Jesus Christ and so makes us partakers of that reconciliation which is in him This was altogether necessary that

our justification might be of free favour Reas. 1. Because it was impossible for the laws and the righteousnes thereof to justifie sinners Rom. 8. vers 1 Reas. 2. Because in the justification of a sinner is remission or pardon of ●…in and all pardon is of free ●…avour Reas. 3. Because in justification is a free Donation of righteousness and of life eternal which to sinners cannot be done but with especial grace and favour The satisfaction made by Christ for us withstands not the freenesse of this favour of justification because it was of free favour and grace that Christ himself was given us and by calling appointed to this satisfaction for us and of his own free-grace also accepted of that calling Use 1. Is of Refutation against Papists and many others who will have our justification to depend upon our Works which yet every where by the Apostle are opposed to this free grace in our justification Use 2. Is of Consolation to believers and repenters against all these shakings of minde which they feel or can feel from the unworthinesse of themselves that their own consciences tell them of because our whole justification hangs on the free favour or grace of God and not upon our worth or merits Use 3. Is of Exhortation 1. That we alwayes flee to the Free-grace of God as to the onely garrison of our souls 2. That from admiration of this grace of God we alwayes study to be thankfull to God Doct. 3. The obedience of Iesus Christ imputed unto us or given us and so accounted ours justifies or makes us righte●… and is the foundation of all our righteousnesse It is in the Text By the Redemption made by Iesus Christ. 1. For he that is justified by the Redemption 〈◊〉 other as by paying a ransom that price is conceived as it were to be paid for him who is redeemed ●… If Christ be the pacification in our justification when we please God as it is in the Text then we please him for something which Christ hath performed for our good 3. If Faith justifies as it hath relation to Christ and the shedding of his blood then there is something in his blood thus shed or in his obedience unto death by vertue whereof we are justified Now the obedience of Christ in respect of our justification hath 1. the place of a meriting cause which obtains it for us because it was the means that Gods justice required to be performed to him before his grace could justify us 2 It hath the place of the formal cause in as much as it is so accepted and taken for ours being given us by free-gift and so made ours indeed as that we are lookt on by God as truly clothed with it when he pronounces the sentence of our justification whence that phrase of the Apostle is Not having mine own righteousnesse but that which is Christs Phil. 3. 9. Reas. 1. Is because this is most agreeable both to the justice and mercy of God joyntly For if our justification had stood in the bare remission of sin without the imputation of a sufficient righteousness or obedience for satisfaction to justice then onely Gods mercy and favour had had place in this businesse no regard being had of the justice of God that satisfaction might be made Reas. 2. Because if we had been pronounced just without any imputation of a satisfying righteousness or obedience performed then there could have been no just ground of such a sentence to wit that he should be pronounced just which was no way just neither by his own inherent justice or righteousness nor yet by anothers justification freely given him Rea. 3. Because by this means we have in some manner a divine righteousnesse or the righteousnesse of God himself to wit that which Christ who is God performed for us not the essential righteousnes of God as Soliander dream'd as God-man in one person on which therefore we may rely and with the greater confidence appear before God and for it hope for all divine and good things at the hands of God Reas. 4. Because in this manner we the more own our salvation as wrought by Christ. Use 1. Is of Refutation against Papists Anabaptists Remonstrants or Arminians and almost all Sects and Sectarians who all agree in this errour that our justification depends upon our works and is not to be sought by the imputation of Christs righteousnesse to us or accounting his obedience ours Use 2. Is of Exhortation unto due thankfulness towards Christ by whose Redemption or ransoming of us we are justified and set free from sin and death the wages of sin and adjudged unto life and glory above what any meer creatures righteousness could ever have deserved Doct. 4. The obedience of Iesus Christ is powerful for justifying of us by being accepted and laid hold on by our Faith It is in the Text. Through Faith in his Blood Reas 1. The very nature and duty of Faith is to rely on Christ or on the favour and mercy of God in Christ for pardon of sins Reas. 2. Because by Faith we are united unto Christ and ingrafted into him that so we may be partakers of all the blessings that in him are prepared for men Reas. 3. Because Faith receives layes hold on and embraces all the promises of God and the things in them contained offered or proposed amongst which pardon of sins and justification in Christ hath a chief place The Use is of Direction that it may be our onely care in the business of our justification to direct our Faith and confidence towards Christ and to stir up and confirm it more and more that we may thence have firm and aboundant comfort The twenty fourth Lords day James 2. 22. Seeft thou how faith wrought with his works and by works was faith made perfect IN these words is contain'd the conclusion of that disputation which Iames had against such as vant of Faith that is destitute of good-works For the Apostle concludes that such Faith is of no worth unto justification And this conclusion is often repeated as vers 14 17. and 20. 22. and 24. under sundry formes of words but to one and the same sense Now this Conclusion which the Apostle proves is not that good-works are any part or cause of our justification before God as Papists take it nor yet as many of our own think that our works justifie us before men however that contain a truth in it but this is the conclusion that justifying faith is such that it worketh and puts forth its operation by good-works And it is proved 1. from a comparison of likes from vers 15. to the 18. 2. By another comparison of likes to wit of such a fruitlesse faith in men and devils vers 19. 3. from the example and pattern of that faith that was in Abraham vers 21. of all which the conclusion is set down in this 22. vers In which two things are determined 1. That true and

suffer a great evill Now that he is said to have suffered for sinnes and for the unjust the particle for designes the cause of his suffering and that is threefold a meritory or material a formal cause and a final The meritory cause because Christ suffered for the things which the sinnes of unjust men had deserved The formal cause because for our sinnes Christ was induced as the form as of divine imputation as of that which by God was imputed so of the suretiship undertaken by Christ or that form which by Christ was undertaken or accepted to be accounted his when he underwent these sufferings Lastly also the final cause because for this end set before him or for this very purpose Christ suffered that he might take away the sins of unjust men and make unjust men to become just and so might bring them to salvation Doct. 1. Christ the Lord suffered all these evills of punishment which were due to us for our sins This is not so to be understood as if in kind and particularly he had undergone all the evills but in value onely and generally in the summe or upcast of all and in that which was equivalent and equipollent to all and so he is said to have suffered all the evills of punishment Reas. 1. Because he suffered generally all sorts of evill to wit as well spiritual in the agony and horror of his mind as corporal in his body and the extreme as well positive as privative both in a kind of loss and in kind of sorrow or feeling Reas 2. Because he suffered from all from whom any evill could be inflicted He suffered from men as well Jews as Gentiles as well his own domesticks as forrainers he suffered from the powers of darkness and Hell which were the murtherers from the beginning and the authors of all these evills which Christ suffered from them and their instruments lastly he suffered from God himself whose cup full of wrath he drunk out Reas. 3. Because he suffered in every part of himself every way that he could suffer For he suffered in his soul horrors and unspeakable sorrowes he suffered in his body hunger thirst nakednesse wounds spitting stripes and buffetings and whatsoever witty malice and cruelty could devise Use 1. Of Direction that continually in meditating on the passion of Christ we may look upon the singular and incomprehensible goodnesse grace love mercy justice and wisdome of God by which he sent his eternal Son to suffer such things for us and for our salvation and together also the abundant grace of our Lord Jesus Christ who was willing to it and did suffer so many and so grievous things for us Use 2. Of Exhortation that from the consideration of this suffering of our Lord and Saviour we strive to stir up our selves powerfully that we may daily have more faith and hope about grace and our salvation to be perfected by Christ and that our hearts may be kindled with greater heat of love towards God and Christ and with greater zeal of the glory of his name lastly that with more courage constancy and patience we bear all the troubles of this life for Christ's sake who suffer'd all things for us Doct. 2. Christ suffer'd all these things neither out of any necessity of nature neither by constraint neither by casualty and chance but of his own ●…ree choice of wisdome and will This is gathered from the Text in that it is put amongst Christ's praises as an example of obedience that he thus suffered But there is no place for praise nor obedience in such things as one suffers out of necessity or chance without the free consent of the will Reas. 1. Because this was the will of the Father whereunto he would conform his will in all things so far forth as he laid this charge upon him Reas. 2. Because this was the very thing for which Christ came into the world according to the form of covenant made between the Father and the Son Isa 53 10. Reas. 3. Because in this consisted the most perfect obediences which is the way to the most perfect glory Phil 2. 9. Object Every evill of punishment is against the will of the sufferer but what Christ suffered for us were very great evills of punishment They were therefore suffered against his will Ans. That evills of punishment are said alwayes to be against the will of the sufferer First Because they are against his natural inclination For therefore punishment is onely evill because it tends to the destroying of nature and so is against inclination of nature whereby every thing seeks the conservation of it self Secondly The evill of punishment is against the will of the sufferer conditionally to wit if by no other means the sufferer can attain to his wished end but it is not alwayes against his will absolutely The first had place in Christ because these passions were against the inclinations of nature since otherwise they had brought him no pain and they were also against his conditional will as appears by these words Father if it be possible let this cup pas●… from me But they were not against his deliberate determinate and absolute will The reason is because he suffered all out of obedience to the Father and of love to us and our salvation Use ●… Of Instruction how we may from this ground arme our mindes against those tentations that use to come by occasion of Christ's sufferings For in this respect Christ was a stumbling stone unto the Jewes and foolishness unto the Grecians But if we will well weigh with our selves that Christ suffered all these things not out of coaction or any necessity or any external violence but from the obedience of love towards mankind and that he might give us a most perfect pattern of obedience in his own person We shall be so far from finding any stumbling block or foolishness in these sufferings that on the contrary nothing could be found that was or is more suitable to the Saviour of the world Use 2. Of Exhortation that calling seriously to mind this grace of our Lord Jesus Christ out of thankfulness and mutual love to him we may be ready with all willingness and chearfulness of mind to undergo all sufferings and afflictions for his sake Doct. 3. Christ's sufferings were an expiatory Sacrifice for our sins This is it which is said in the Text That he suffered for sins for the unjust that is he had the virtue to take away the punishment from us the guilt also and the spot and to acquire to us the favour of God and righteousness and life eternal It is the same that useth to be signified by satisfaction by merit by redemption by restitution or restauration made by Christ. Reas. 1. Because this was the covenant between the Father and the Son that if he would undergo that obedience for us then we should be freed from our disobedience and death and should live thorough him Isa. 53. 10. For this