Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A Word B Word C Word D Occurrence Frequency Band MI MI Band Prominent
cause_n good_a justification_n work_n 9,756 5 6.9844 4 true
View all documents for the selected quad

Text snippets containing the quad

ID Title Author Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) STC Words Pages
A45680 Christ's righteousness imputed, the Saint's surest plea for eternal life, or, The glorious doctrine of free-justification, by the imputation of the pure and spotless righteousness of Jesus Christ, stated, cleared, vindicated, and made plain to the meanest capacity being the substance of several sermons, on Isaiah XLV. 24, 25 / by Michael Harrison ... Harrison, Michael, Minister at Potters-Pury. 1690 (1690) Wing H903; ESTC R10310 20,250 35

There is 1 snippet containing the selected quad. | View lemmatised text

Justification and there are two Considerations that will much clear the Manner of this Imputation 1. As Adam's Sin is imputed to his Posterity whereby they are all become Sinners Rom. 5.12 In him all have sinned even so is Christ's Righteousness to all his whereby they become righteous Rom. 5.19 As by one Man's Disobedience many i. e. all Mankind were made Sinners so by the Obedience of one many i. e. all the Spiritual Seed of Christ for the Apostle is there speaking of the two Seeds were made righteous 2. As the Sins of the Elect were laid upon or imputed to Christ as Isa 53.4 5 Rom. 4. last He was made Sin for us So the Obedience or Righteousness of Christ is imputed to us 2 Cor. 5. last We are made the Righteousness of God in him IV. Let us now Consider the Time when we are made Partakers of this blessed Priviledge Justification And here Consider 1. From Eternity God hath decreed to justifie all the Elect for it must be granted that all those blessed Priviledges the Saints enjoy in Time is setled upon them in God's Eternal Purpose Eph. 1.4 He hath chosen us in him before the Foundation of the World that we should be holy and without blame before him in Love V. 5. Having predestinated us to the Adoption of Children by Jesus Christ to himself according to the Good Pleasure of his Will so that Adoption Justification Sanctification and all other Spiritual Heavenly Blessings are setled upon us in God's Eternal Election before Time but yet it can in no propriety of Speech be said We are justified from Eternity there being not one Syllable in the whole Bible that saith so We must distinguish between a Purpose in God to do such a Thing in Time and the Thing actually done we are no more justified from Eternity then we are sanctified and glorified from Eternity God having from Eternity equally purposed to give these Benefits to all the Elect. 2. The Lord Jesus Christ hath at his Death purchased the Pardon of Sin Justification and Eternal Life for all Believers God laid on him the Iniquities of us all Isa 53.4 5 6. Rom. 5.12 ad finem yet these purchased Priviledges are reserved for us not applied to us until we actually come to and believe in Christ John 3.36 He that believeth on the Son hath Everlasting Life and he that believeth not the Son shall not see Life 2. We are actually justified by Faith Rom. 5.1 Being justified by Faith we have Peace with God Rom. 3.28 A Man is justified by Faith without the Deeds of the Law Now if we are justified by Faith we are not justified before Faith nor without it the Being of Faith in the Soul being absolutely necessary to Justification 4. In Death we have a further Manifestation of our Justification when the Soul of a Believer appears at God's Bar 't is then acquitted and finds it self more immediately in the Arms of Mercy Rev. 14.13 Blessed are the dead which dye in the Lord they rest from their Labours and their Work do follow them 5. The Last and Great Day of Justification will be the Day of Judgment the Saints shall then by Jesus Christ himself be declared Just and Righteous before Angels and Men Mat. 25.34 Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom prepared for you V. How we are justified by Faith The very Papists and the Rankest Arminian will not deny but own we are justified by Faith let them but Explain the Term Faith as they please Therefore it will be very necessary to shew how Faith justifies 1. Negatively We are not justified by Faith in a proper but in a figurative Sense not by Faith as it is a Work in us In this manner Papists Socinians and Arminians plead for Justification by Faith nay some would have Faith bear away the Bell and have the Honour of justifying us it is singled out by God from all other Graces and God of meer Mercy looks on Faith say some Faith and sincere Obedience to the Gospel say Others as if it were a Perfect and Legal Righteousness tho' they own this Acceptance to be of Grace But all this is nothing but Popery refined the Doctrine of Justification by Works dressed in neater Terms the Devices of Satan to darken and obscure the old Protestant Doctrine of Justification 2. Positively Faith justifies with respect to its Object Now the Object of Faith is 1. General The whole Word of God Historical Mandatory Promissory Monitory it looks at all the Parts of the Divine Law Thus Faith purifies the Heart produces Holy Obedience but in this sence Faith justifies not 2. Faith has a special and peculiar Object and that is the Promise or Covenant of Grace or rather Christ in the Promise thus Faith justifies as it looks to and eyes the Promises Faith is the Right Hand whereby we look unto Christ and receive Christ offered to us Now this Saving Faith has a twofold Act An Act ad Extra and an Act ad Intra Ad Extra it looks and puts forth Acts of true Evangelical Obedience Holiness of Heart and Life so it justifies not But Ad intra it looks to Christ and rests upon him alone in this Sence Faith justifies So that upon the whole we may say 1. That the Internal Moving Cause of our Justification is meer Grace Rom. 3.24 Being freely justified by his Grace 2. The External Moving Cause is Jesus Christ God-man who as Mediator hath purchased this Gift for us 3. The Material Cause is the Active and Passive Obedience of Christ whereby he both obeyed the Law and made Satisfaction for Sin 4. The Formal Cause is the Imputation of our Sins to Christ and his Righteousness to us 5. The External Instrumental Cause of Justification is the Gospel in which Christ and Justification by the Imputation of his Righteousness is revealed and offered to us 2 Cor. 5.22 6. The Internal Instrumental Cause is Faith which justifieth instrumentally as it apprehends Christ Thus we are said to be justified by Grace by Faith by Christ i. e. thro' God's Grace by Christ's Merits apprehended by Faith 7. The Declarative Cause of Justification is Good Works whereby our Faith is declared to be not a dead but a true and living Faith 8. The Final Cause of our Justification is the Glory of God and our own Salvation VI. Objections answered Object 1. If Christs Righteousness imputed be the only Cause of our Justification what need then of Repentance Holiness or New Obedience Answ 1. Repentance and true Holiness is by God himself made indispensably necessary to Salvation Acts 17.30 God commands all Men every where to repent And Heb. 12.14 Without Holiness no Man shall see God 2. I do not say Repentance Holiness and New Obedience are no Cause at all but they are neither the External nor Internal Moving Cause they are neither the Efficient Formal Instrumental Material or Meritorious Cause yet they are the Evidential or