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	life_n	work_n	7,030	5	6.3476	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A88089	Vindiciæ Christi, et obex errori Arminiano: = a plea for Christ, and obstrvction to the first passage, whereat the errors of Arminus steal into the hearts of men: shewing Christs satisfaction in his humiliation, to be the sole price of our redemption; and evidencing faith in that satisfaction, no instrumental cause of our justification in the fight of God, nor condition given us for life. Delivered in three sermons: by Richard Lewthwat Master of Arts, in Caius Colledge in Cambridge, at his Parish of Wigston in Norfolk.	Lewthwat, Richard.	1655 (1655)	Wing L1855; Thomason E480_6; ESTC R205317	30,584	39

he that joyns together both Jews and Gentiles in one way infallible hope or foundation of eternal life or again he is become the head of the corner That is he is become the proper support and onely true foundation of the hope of all mens salvation as in the first of the Cor. chap. 3. ver 11. For other Foundation can no man lay then that is laid which is Iesus Christ he is become the head of the corner And now see in the next verse further for my purpose the Apostle saies that this Christ is the sole and whole vertue means and matter of mans salvation or Redemption neither saies he is there salvation in any other that is means and help to life eternal lyes no where but in this Christ this crucified Saviour this corner stone set at nought of you Jews or Jewish builders neither is there salvation in any other Look yet a little further and we have yet more for our purpose in the reason the Apostle there brings for confirmation for sayes he there is no other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved Let me give ye the meaning of the word name here and then the place is an invincible fortification for my inference and need not capitulate with the Adversary about surrender The word Name as it refers to God or Christ in the Scriptures is oft taken for the powerful aid help and vertue that is in God or Christ to us and for us Thus t is used as attributed to God Psa the 44. ver 5. Through thy name will we tread them under that rise up against us That is through thy power aid assistance or vertue we shall tread them under Thus under favour it is taken in the words I have quoted for my purpose there is no other name under heaven whereby we must be saved That is there is no other thing nature essence vertue power matter means or help whereby wherefore or for which we must be saved See brethren every thing in the world but Christ shut out from being the matter means purchase or condition of or for our Redemption or salvation yea the perfectest obedience the deepest repentance the truest charity the devoutest prayers yea the strongest faith all these and any of these are shut out from being matter or means whereby we may be saved the reason is plain because they are none of them this Jesus Christ of Nazareth This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders which is become the head of the corner neither is there salvation in any other for there is no other name given under heaven among men whereby we must be saved I confess there are many arguments and allegations brought against this doctrine and my last inference by the Anti-christian party within the sound of the word yea and profession of the Gospel some plead for good works obedience alms-deeds charity and such like graces in man to share as causes or means in the work of our salvation as the Church of Rome others that faith and repentance become mainly if not solely the matter means or cause of our Redemption or salvation in that they are a condition exacted by God to be performed by us for life ●s Mr. Plater and the Arminian faction and the most of our present Divines watching over the flock of God if they be such in all England as here about us Tenents if duly poysed as now held that be fully opposite to the free grace of God in Christ contended for by the Apostle in Rom. the 11. ver 6. and in many places elsewhere yea and further they are Tenents if duely poysed baneful and destructive to that comfortable hope held forth to us in the Gospel of Christ Perhaps the Adversary to my position rather then to skirmage in the several particulars will desire to try the victory with me as the Philistines did with Israel in the first of Sam. chap. the 17. namely with their Goliah by the valued and reputed help and aid that is in the grace of faith as to life and Redemption My brethren for brevities sake I am content to do it as also because I know that the ruin of this will be the dispersing of all the other adverse arguments if this falls there is not one can stand And now I le meet this their Goliah faith as David did that of the Philistines even clad with its whole or best armour with its helmet graves of brass Objection I will produce the places attributing the most to faith as in respect to the present purpose in all the Scriptures and fullest against my doctrine and inference The places I bring for the Adversary are out of the Epistle to the Romans and the first is in the fourth Chapter ver 3. For what saith the Scripture Abraham believed God and it was counted to him for righteousness from hence ye will plead that the act of faith Abrahams believing the promises his resting upon Christ for salvation by or through whom the promise of eternal life was made I say ye will say that this Abrahams believing of God resting upon him for life eternal through Christ was partly if not wholly the means or cause of his now enjoying life eternal was the means or things for which or whereby at least in part he stood approved just and perfect in the sight of God as to Eternal life t is evident ye will say it was counted Abrahams righteousness and again in the 28. ver of the foregoing Chapter the Apostle saith we are justified by faith that is by the means of faith because of faith or for faith Look upon both Doctrine Inference and then consequently ye will say my doctrine and inference is false I have made the objection so strong as I can and that from the most opposite places in all the Scriptures I shall endeavour to give as full an answer I pray mark it well It is to be known that God may be said to account or reckon a thing to us for righteousness two several ways Answer properly or improperly in a proper sense or in an improper sense A thing may be said to be counted to us of God for righteousness properly if it be looked upon by God as that or part of that whereby of or for which we be free from the punishment due to us because of sin if it be that by which we stand just in the sight of God so right in the Court of heaven as that Divine Iustice hath not wherefore to condemn us In a word that is counted to us for righteousness in a proper sense which becomes the cover of our sins as in the Psalmists phrase or that takes and bears away our sins and blots them out as that God sees them not in us as to punish us for them remembers them not against us That may be said to be our righteousness properly that doth either partly or wholly so quallifie us as

for righteousness were pleasing to him in the forementioned proper sense that is as becoming like the pretious blood of Christ or with it the matter or means of our Redemption or freedom from the wrath of God due to us for our sins were this the sense of it then we must all back again to Popery attributing merit to our works ye a and destroy all the doctrine of Christ and his Apostles No they are pleasing in Gods sight or if ye will are accounted to us for righteousness in an improper sense as being acceptable to him as being his delight having here great reward being followed with all the bounty and kindness that God vouchsafes his beloved ones in this life with the abundance of blessings yea with spiritual with the comfortable hope and assurance of enjoying the future happiness purchased by Christ My brethren under favour if I should say that in this improper sense the Apostle meant Abrahams believing God to be counted to him for righteousness if I should say he meant there that it was the grace most pleasing and acceptable to God that it was the joy and delight of God I say if I should say thus I do not see how I should be injurious or detrimental to the purpose of Saint Paul whose main drift is in this Epistle and in most of the rest to take men off from resting upon legal performances in the least for Redemption and to set forth Christ the sole and all-sufficient salvation of man and so thereby to work in mans heart the grace of faith most eminently profitable and comfortable to him in this life and most transcendently pleasing to the father himself Sharpius in the forecited reconciliation glossing upon that of our Saviour Iohn the 6. ver 29. where he saith this is the work of God that ye believe on him whom he hath sent I say glossing upon those words and shewing in what respect faith may be there termed the work of God amongst other respect he saith it may be so called because t is the work that doth most especially please God and for that purpose he quotes the very place of Genesis quoted by Saint Paul which is in Gen. chap. the 15. ver 6. the words And he believed in the Lord and he counted it to him for righteousness So that see Sharpius gives the same gloss in effect upon the Apostle that I did last namely that t is not our righteousness properly but improperly t is the grace the work that is most pleasing and acceptable to him And indeed this esteem and valuation I do from my heart believe that the Lord makes of this grace of faith in us as is apparent First because t is faith that makes every work a man performs acceptable with God so Hebrews chap. the 11. ver 4. By faith Abel offered a more acceptable sacrifice then Cain if a work ariseth from any other principle then faith the cause of love which constrains us to obedience t is not possible for that work to get the least acceptance with God So Hebrews the 11. ver 6. Without faith it is impossible to please him So then seeing t is faith and that grace onely that makes our works pleasing unto God it must evidently follow that t is that that is most pleasing to him and holds the preheminency in his esteem Propter quod unumquodque tale illud magis tale Secondly this high valuation of faith by God is probable to me upon this consideration that Gods and Christs temporal blessings vonchsafed to men have been gained by nothing so much as by faith nay by a faith far inferiour to the faith in hand the faith of Christ I mean that faith which hath but given a man to rest and wait upon God and Christ as able to bring about the temporall blessings desired by them or promised them of God If we peruse the Scriptures we shall find that this kinde of faith never returned empty or unsatisfied by either God or Christ it ever sped as did the faith of the two blind men in Matthew chap. the 9. ver 30. who believing that Christ was able to cure them had their desire even their eyes opened See what watchful experence in David had found as to this purpose Psalm the 18. ver 30. He is a buckler to all those that trust in him Faith and trust in Gods power never wants defence so pleasing to God is this inferiour kinde of faith seeing then this faith is so pleasing to God I cannot but see the other faith that which gives a man to rest upon God and Christ for salvation to be of most high esteem with him for mark it duely prizeth and valueth the blood of Christ it infinitely declares the honour and glory of God and Christ it speaks them infinitely and incomprehensively loving good just powerful merciful the attributes of Gods delight and honour so that though I denyed Abrahams faith to be counted to him for Righteousness in a proper sense yet improperly it might be termed his righteousness and that first in this respect as being the work the grace that is most pleasing unto God and making us acceptable to him in our obedience Thus much dear brethren I dare speak for faith and attribute to it further as to the present distinction and consideration of Gods counting Abrahams saith his righteousness or our faith ours no man ought to go not a right principled Christian indued with the fear of God but would tremble to value faith above this to value it mans righteousness in a proper sense But then again Secondly faith may be counted our righteousness may be said to be that which justifies us or by which we are justified in an improper sense and that in respect or out of consideration to its instrumental efficiency in the comfortable application of Christ and all his benefits to a soul in this life giving the soul here sure hope of a real possession of unspeakable glory in the world to come because of Christ In this respect we are said to be justified by faith without the deeds of the Law our faith and not our legal performances being the instrument or means whereby the spirit of God conveys the righteousness of Christ to our apprehensions and the hope of salvation therefore Out of this respect in a Metaphorical or metonimical expression we see in the Scriptures things often transferred or carried to what they do not properly belong in this respect we finde the doctrine concerning Christ stiled the word of life Phil. the 2. chap. ver 16. and the Gospel of our salvation Eph. the 1. ver 13. the word of life that is as I think not the word that worketh or causeth our eternal life but the word that manifesteth and discovereth to us where that our life lyes and by whom t is wrought effected and accomplished And so the Gospel of our salvation not the Gospel that worketh or bringeth about our salvation but that manifesteth to

hath decreed to give more and better good things so that see love in God is to give or to will and decree to give good things so then his premised I declare first from the Scriptures that t is evident That faith is no instrumental efficient cause of a real application of Christ as the cover of our sins from the sight of God as that whereby the holy spirit brings a sinner into the love and favour of God who was out of it till faith came into his heart and this I prove first from that of Ieremiah chap. the 31. ver 3. I have loved thee with an everlasting love love in God as before declared is nothing else but will purpose or decree in God of doing good or giving good things so that then the sense of the words is this first God did will purpose or decree good to them he there spake the good things there promised were it temporal deliverance as some or eternal Redemption as others what ever good thing it was yet God did will and decree it them with an everlasting will and decree The word Everlasting must be a little cleared and then the place is most full for our purpose A thing is said to be everlasting especially three severall wayes First when a thing is to continue a long time though not for ever as Leviticus the 16. ver the 34. this shall be an everlasting statute Secondly when it shall never have end though it had beginning as the future glory of the elect and the misery of the reprobate as Mat. 25. ver 46. Thirdly a thing is said to be everlasting when without beginning or ending as God To be King everlasting In this last acception and respect Wilson saith that the purpose and pleasure of God to save the elect them that shall possess eternal glory through Christ is said to be eternal or everlasting which will be evident if ye consult with Eph. the 3. ver 11. or with my last text in the second Epistle to Tim. chap. the 1. ver 9. and indeed we may justly say that both love and hatred in God that is his purpose will or intendment of mans evil as also of his good and that of both sorts either temporal or eternal are everlasting or eternal especially as being without beginning in God For t is impossible yea inconsistent with the nature of God as described in the Scriptures that any purpose will or intendment in God of either evil or good to us should take beginning in God in time and not be coeternal with his being So that the meaning there is this God declared love there to Israel being nothing else but his will or purpose that they should be redeemed through Christ from death to glory I say the meaning is this that God willed or decreed to them he there spake the good and happiness of their Redemption with an everlasting will or decree that is with a will or purpose coeternal with the being of God not adventitious or coming to him in time which thing being granted t is not possible for faith to have any hand as an instrumentall cause of Gods spirit so to apply Christ to us as that then our pollution should become hid from God which were before open to him should then bring us into the love of God who before were in his hatred the reason is because to make faith an instrumental cause of Gods favour or will to save is to make the cause infinitely coming after its effect in time what greater absurdity ever heard of Again that faith is no instrumental efficient cause of applying Christ as the cover of our sins from the sight of God c. as before t is evident from that of Ezekiel chap. the 16. ver 6. 8. if ye look upon the contents of the five first verses of this chapter ye shall see that in the opinion of the Translators of the bible appointed to the work as I presume by King Iames under the similitude of a wretched Infant was shewed the natural state of Jerusalem that is as I presume under favour how spiritually polluted they the elect were in themselves and in respect to their own personal and natural condition now at the 6. and 8. verses the Prophet shews what they were then in respect to Gods will and fight through the satisfaction of Christ even whilest in that natural condition before spiritualized or indued with faith and that was pronounced just through Christ the sentence of eternal life was then gone forth for them from the mouth of Gods decree verse 6. when I passed by thee and saw thee polluted in thine own blood I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood live c. Again God looked upon them as in Christ and redeemed by Christ whilest in their natural condition before the faith of Christ was in their hearts for ver 8. it was the time of love of Gods loving them in his Son and therefore also impossible if this place be rightly expounded that faith should be any instrumentall cause of applying Christ to a soul as the cover of its sins from the sight of God as being that whereby the spirit brings a sinner into the favour of God who was in his hatred till then the reason is the former because to make faith an instrumental cause of Gods favour or will to save is to make the cause infinitely coming after its effect in time and so fully opposite to Ezekiel I le alleadge but one place more for this purpose and I have done and it is that of Saint Paul Rom. the 4. chap. ver 5. But to him that worketh not but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly his faith is counted to him for righteousness Hence I may infer two things the latter comes home to the present purpose the first is Gods acceptance and approbation of our faith his delight or pleasure that we should rest alone upon him and his Christ for our salvation so accounting our eternal redemption to be of grace or favour not of due or debt because of any thing done or performed or to be done or to be performed by us his faith sales the Apostle is counted for righteousness cast your eyes once again upon the words but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly Me thinks from these words the spirit of God doth whisper as it were the time of Christs real satisfaction to the father for the elect and of the fathers acceptance of Christ in their stead that is the time when Christ is imputed and counted our righteousness and we beheld and looked upon by the father as interested in Christ to be benefited by Christ absolved from our sins because of Christ and that time of all this is a time before the income of grace yea of the grace of faith into our souls The Apostle saith plainly enough that he justifieth the ungodly that believeth on him that is on the father that justifieth that is

life in the New Testament why then the old killing letter of the Law which granted life upon Do this and but upon that condition is to be termed Gospel that is good tydings rather then the New Testament Then indeed the Law is a Solomon heavy to Israel I but the Gospel is a Rehoboam far heavier For as Mr. Bridges in his Sermon upon the Canaanitish woman whose memory I shall ever honour and bless God for the unvaluable comfort I received thereby t is harder to believe then to keep all the commands of God t is harder for man barely considered as man for so it must be put I say t is harder for him to believe to rest upon Christ faithfully for salvation then to keep the whole Law This if time would permit were easily evidential but yet however t is granted by all that faith is beyond and out of the reach of any man and that unless the spirit of God shall vouchsafe to work it at his pleasure by an inward operation unbound to do it for any no man is able to gain all the Ministers and means in the world are not able to furnish one soul with it these things premised and received I leave the world to judge how improbable t is that faith should stand as a condition for life the Ministers that make faith a condition for life ex consequenti do make the Gospel no glad tydings but sad tydings they set out our life and escaping death at harder terms then the Law did which was yet impossible for man to observe or if not so yet they put it upon a condition non penes nos that is out of our power O miserable wretched times that mount Sion should be turned to mount Sinai that the blessed signs seals and tokens of our salvation by the Lord Christ should be turned to a Law and Covenant with us impossible to be performed by us save at the pleasure and assistance of Gods spirit blowing and breathing this sweet gale of faith and other graces but where it listeth Upon this subject I might increase into a volume and as the times are it were not unnecessary but I almost forbear give me your ears to a word or two more I confess sometimes I quote and alleadge the opinions of men especially of our modern Divines with whom I have even solely conversed but yet this I do not desiring to work ye to believe the things in hand because they have said it that respect I give onely to the holy Scriptures no I do it to prevent prejudice to the truths in hand I le therefore conclude all with that of Mr. Greenham in his tractate of Blessedness in his works set forth by Mr. Holland siding much methinks with what I have held forth to ye in these last Sermons speaking there of salvation the true blessedness of man he saith that our future salvation t is purposed by the father the son performs it and the holy Ghost ratifies it to us So that see the work of the holy Ghost is confirmation in this life to a soul of his future happiness granted by the father upon the purchase of the Son eternally before the ratification thereof by the holy spirit in time by faith And under favour this I take to be the most is attributed to the work of the spirit in all the Scriptures as concerning our salvation namely ratification confirmation assurance or manifestation of what in respect to our future condition hath been from everlasting gained by the son granted by the father and irrevocably concluded by both in their mutual and eternal covenant for the elect In respect therefore to illumination and faith conveyed to our souls which gives sight and hope of future glory through Christ which was promised to be wrought in the hearts of his disciples and Church by the holy Ghost he is called the Comforter not a Saviour Iohn the 14. ver 26. his work of faith upon the hearts of men is in Ephesians the 1. ver 14. termed the earnest of our inheritance the earnest money ye know gives a man to hope and expect the full pay at the appointed day according to promise or bargain faith is the earnest not the price of our inheritance And in another place we are said hereby to be sealed unto the day of redemption so that the work of faith is to give or work in us the hope expectation and assurance of the already concluded and accomplished salvation for us all which amount up to that description of faith by the Apostle Hebrews the 11. ver 1. Faith is the ground of things hoped for the evidence of things not seen Let me add that of Mr. Maxey before the King at White-hall Tuesday the 8. of Ianuary 1604. in the conclusion of his Sermon upon that of the Apostle Rom. the 8. ver 30. Moreover whom he hath predestinated them also he hath called c. he hath these words Thus in predestination we behold God the Father choosing of his love in calling we hear God the Son teaching by his word in justifying we feel the comfort of God the holy Ghost sealing by his spirit By and by after he saith thus to our purpose calling inlightneth the mind with spiritual knowledge justifying goeth further and sealeth up the heart with heavenly comfort Yet more for our purpose presently after and alleadged out of Bernard Every one of us after this life desire and hope to enjoy eternall glory Behold saies he Conceditur in praedestinatione promittitur in vocatione ostenditur in justificatione percipitur in glorificatione In praedestination there is the first grant in calling it is directly promised in justifying it is plainly shewed in glorifying there is livery and seisin the full possession of all Thus ye may see that in Queen Elizabeths dayes and in the immediate succeeding times my opinion and Judgement which was that faith was but a blessed sign seal or pledge of Gods eternal favour purpose or dercee to save us not a cause or means to work God thereto not bent to it before was admitted the presence of the Court it self and the most of the Nation But now this illegitimate this child of Hagar the off-spring of shallow humane reason I mean the Arminian Tenents I say that now they have so long been favoured and countenanced that small parishes will deal by Christs doctrin I mean free grace as the blinded and perverse Jews did by our Saviour himself pelt him and stone him with reproaches at him that shall preach it as they dealt by our Jesus say he is mad or hath a devil at least most fiercely oppose it Now to draw to an end perhaps ye will say I set too too little price or value upon faith obedience or repentance and do account so sleightly of them as that man will hardly long after them As to this I shall need say no more then what hath been often spoken in your hearings as to this purpose I prize faith as Saint Peter did I call it precious faith though it becomes not his salvation yet it brings about invaluable blessings it gives light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death it takes off the heaviest burthen can be laid upon man in this life it cures the wounded spirit that cannot be born it brings peace external the blessings of this life it brings peace internall the peace of conscience by giving him hope and assurance of his peace eternal accomplished for him by Christ faith brings sanctification with it it outs sin and Sathan being in the heart it keeps Sathan from re-entrance Eph. the 6. ver 16. Take the shield of faith whereby ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of Sathan without faith all our works are inacceptable to God little or no difference betwixt transgression of the Law and conformity to it as to the subject matter Many more are the benefits of faith so pretious tis that I say to God in my wishes dayly as the woman of Samaria to Christ concerning it or the water Lord evermore give me this this though thou strippest me of all things in this life whatever and O Lord give me obedience and due conformity to thy will though it will not save me from eternal destruction it will keep the doctrine of Christ from being evil spoken of from being blasphemed it will stave off the temporal wrath and vengeance of God from me it will keep thee from Gods becoming to thee as an enemy or Lord if I lapse to disobedience then grant me the renewing grace of repentance and conversion for then that shall become my sanctuary and City of refuge that I may be safe from the destroyer from the temporal vengeance of the Almighty FINIS