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A69521 The orthodox foundation of religion long since collected by that iudicious and elegant man, Mr. Henry Ainsworth, for the benefit of his private company, and now divulged for the publike good of all that desire to know that Cornerstone, Christ Jesus crucified / by S.W. Ainsworth, Henry, 1571-1622?; S. W. (Samuel White) 1641 (1641) Wing A811; ESTC R8781 48,874 90

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his justice must be satisfied first before any legall justice can be established in us which being satisfied by Christ and so wee absolved from our sinnes past the legall justice beginneth in us againe in this life but shall not be perfected till the next life Justification is an act undivided and all at once and so it differeth from Sanctification which is done by degrees and parts Justification of a sinner in this life is done essentially but once though it be often repaired and renued as faith once given to the elect is never quite taken away for the seede of God remaineth in him Justification and Faith are most nearly united The causes of Justification are either Principall Instrumentall Outward Inward The principall outward cause is the merit and satisfaction of Christ Rom. 3.24 25. which in respect of us is the meritorious cause in respect of God it is the cause that is outwardly moving him to pronounce us just Both these are true that we are justified for the satisfaction and merit of Christ as the outward moving cause and yet are justified freely of meere mercy as the inward moving cause Object How can it be said that God freely forgiveth us our sinnes out of his owne grace and mercy freely seeing hee hath required satisfaction to the full of Christ our head and surety and without such satisfaction forgiveth no sinne Answ. Though hee forgive it not freely in respect of his Sonne who was wounded for our iniquities yet in respect of us that were the sinners it is free Object But wee merited it in Christ our head and therefore are not freely forgiven Answ. His merit was not ours by originall possession or cleaving in us as sinne is from Adam but only by relation and application and this meere grace that wee never thinking on any such thing God found this way for our redemption Rom. 5.8 10. and that he applyeth his Sonnes redemption unto us that were by no gift or merit disposed to such a thing Eph. 1.6 9. 2.8 As Christs satisfaction is most sufficient and full so as it is sufficiently and fully to justifie us without any merit of ours or any other creatures Rom. 3.25 26. Our workes being imperfect have no proportion to the justice of God neither are they ours but Gods due unto him and proceeding from him now that which is not ours originally or by possession but is wholly owing unto another by it we can merit nothing to our selves The principall inward cause of our justification is both 1 an effectuall calling 2 the imputation of Christs merits The effectuall calling is the more remote cause of our justification when God by his Spirit effectually moveth the heart the understanding will and affections to the acknowledgement of our owne miseries to seeke deliverance and to beleeve the promise or grace This inward calling of the elect differeth from outward calling by the word whereby God offereth his grace to all in generall to this inward calling a man is meerly passive in respect of the beginning that is hee cannot any more prepare or dispose himselfe by strength of nature unto this calling or justification Herein therefore the Papists erre who ascribe to man a preparation to justification called the fundation of justification as faith that is a certaine generall knowledge and certainty of the truth of Gods Word Secondly an acknowledgement of our sinnes Thirdly feare of hell Fourthly love of God Fifthly repentance Sixthly hope of salvation which sufficiently prepare a man they say to receive justification but the Apostle saith the contrary that our sufficiencie is of God The imputation of Christs merit satisfaction is the neere and next cause of justification and constituteth the essence and definition of it which is when God for union with Christ doth so apply and make proper Christs merit to us as if wee our selves had died and satisfied for our sinnes As from Adam wee draw 1 guilt 2 native evill so from Christ we draw 1 absolution from guilt 2 reparation of Gods Image called Regeneration The instrumentall cause of justification is Faith which is taken sometime largely sometime strictly largely faith is taken for an assent to those things written in the Word called historicall faith strictly faith is justifying or miraculous justifying faith is a trustfull assurance which the Spirit of God stirreth up in the elect firmly to apply the promises of Gods grace This faith presupposeth knowledge Rom. 10.14 but formally it is assertion towards Gods promise Faith justifieth not as it is a quality passion or action in us but as it is a relation and uniteth us to Christ whose satisfaction is imputed for righteousnesse to us Gal. 2.20 Faith applyeth the promise to the particular person and not the generall onely Gal. 2.20 1 Job 4.16 Faith necessarily bringeth forth good workes yet it justifieth not in that respect Rom. 4.5 The proper object of faith is the evangelicall promise of grace in Christ Rom. 1.16 Faith hath degrees increasing and diminishing yet the essence and force of justifying remaineth in the least degree Rom. 12.3 Mark 9.24 Faith once wrought in the elect can never be utterly extinguished for faith is of the elect onely 2 Thess. 3.2 as the elect cannot perish neither can their faith Rom. 8.38 39. The immediate effect of justification knowne is Adoption by which the elect do now actually please God as his children and co-heires with Christ Another effect of justification is peace of Conscience when we perceive our selves absolved from the guilt of sinne before Gods judgement and the judgement of our owne conscience Rom. 5.1 Peace of conscience hath degrees sometimes more sometimes lesse Psal. 30.7 and 51.12 and 38.3 From peace of conscience ariseth confidence that our prayers are heard Also assurance that our good workes please God also patient suffering of the crosse ariseth from the feeling of justification Rom. 5.3 Thus much of our deliverance from sinne and the misery thereof also the punishment of sinne which was Christs worke in himselfe Now followeth our Sanctification or reformation into the image of God which is Christs worke in us it is the change of our nature into better that is into the similitude of the perfection of God called also our Glorification 2 Cor. 3.18 Justification and Sanctification differ thus Justification is the imputing of anothers justice to wit Christs Sanctification is the impression of justice that it may be in us in Justification there is the satisfaction of Christ in Sanctification there is the obedience of a Christian Justice is perfect and absolute an undivided act at once Sanctification is a work begun not equall in all Justification is first Sanctification is after Sanctification is a separation from filthinesse of sin from common prophane use and a preparation and application to holy use by the Spirit of God 2 Cor. 7.1
these 1 Ignorance whereby wee cannot know the truth nay not often with much labour 2 Obscurity and confusion in the understanding 3 Hardnesse to conceive and retaine things in the memory Punishments in respect of the body are 1 Common weaknesse and frailties of all men 2 Speciall disposition to sicknesse and diseases 3 Paine and labour especially in women paine of child-bearing 4 Deformity and want of beauty and comlinesse thorow evill proportion of the members or evill colour 5 Famine withholding or taking away the fruits of our lands chattels c. 6 Want or losse of children 7 Contentions emulations reproaches infamies warres among men 8 Many things against health good name goods and livelihood yea there is the punishment of deaths temporall the separation of soule and body and deaths eternall separation of soule and body from God from all felicity and glory called the second death The second death is to be minded first for the parts and degrees of it secondly for the circumstance of time and place The parts and degrees are these 1 the damned have no communion with God nor participation of grace 2 Thes. 1.9 2 They are united unto Satan and are partakers of his punishments 3 They are ashamed and confounded because their sinnes are manifested Rev. 20.12 4 They are ashamed and fret and envie the felicity of the Saints in Heaven Psalm 112.10 5 They are horribly pained and tormented with feeling Gods wrath and the worme of conscience The circumstances of time and place are these first of place which is hell the bottomlesse deepe the utter darknesse Gen. 16. Luk. 13.21 2 Pet. 2. Secondly of time and that will ever breake the heart of the damned which is eternity that hee is past hope of ever going out or having end of his paines Mat. 25.46 All sinne of its owne nature requireth punishment Rom. 6.23 Punishment is evill in respect of the sufferer good in respect of God that afflicteth it justly for sinne As sinne hath taken away the agreement with the nature of God so punishment hath taken away the communion with the felicity of God Mans misery is remediable through the mercy of God though God spared not the Angels that sinned yet the grace of God that bringeth salvation to all men hath appeared The remedy of our misery consisteth of two things 1 A deliverance from sin Secondly our reformation to the Image of God Psal. 32.1 2 Cor. 3.18 Our deliverance from sinne containeth foure things 1 Election to life eternall by God the Father 2 Redemption by God the Sonne Psal. 130.8 3 Justification Rom. 5.1 4 Sanctification and reformation into the Image of God by the Holy Ghost In our first estate wee had two things Gods favour and Image In our fall and misery wee have two things Satans Image and Gods displeasure In our restauration are had two things reconciliation to Gods favour and restoring of his Image God from all eternity did predestinate appoint and elect some Angels and some men to be for ever heires of the riches of his grace and glory 1 Tim. 5.2 1 Pet. 2.8 God keepeth the Angels that they cannot fall conserving and increasing their happinesse Joh. 13. Jer. 22.40 Mat. 24.24 Election is of God the Father Eph. 1.2 3. and onely some few men are elected unto life and they out of all sorts Jewes and Gentiles Matt. 20.16 Rom. 9.24 Rev. 7.9 Election hath two acts and degrees concerning the end which is eternall glory the first of God then of the creature Secondly the meanes to the end Rom. 9.11 The first act touching the end is Gods purpose to take some men which were to be created to eternall grace and glory leaving other some The second act is his purpose whereby hee ordaineth these men being to fall in Adam unto eternall glory through Christ Joh. 3.16 6.47 The signes testimonies and benefits of our election in Christ are an effectuall calling the gifts of lively faith Act. 13.4 5. 2 Thess. 2.13 14. Justification Rom. 8.30 and glorification begun in this life by holinesse being predestinated thereunto Eph. 1.4 That unto which God hath elected us is first Adoption of sonnes Secondly Sanctification Thirdly Eternall life The first and onely moving cause of Election is the good-pleasure and love of God Eph. 1.5 Rom. 9.18 Eph. 1.11 Christ being the ground-worke hereof This is further confirmed thus God is the beginning of his actions Rom. 11.35 The first beginning dependeth upon no other outward beginning but God should depend upon an other outward beginning if he could not elect whom he would without having respect of their faith faith is the effect of election Act. 13.48 therefore it cannot be the cause or before election The meanes whereby wee are predestinated is Jesus Christ Eph. 1.5 Christ is not the first moving cause but the meane for hee is onely Gods Sonne and we being predestinated to the adoption of Sonnes have the Sonne-ship by communion with Christ Gods election is firme and immutable Esay 46.10 2 Tim. 2.19 The meanes whereby wee come to be assured that wee are elected are these First the Gospell teaching that all truly beleeving shall be saved Tit. 1.2 and wee knowing wee beleeve assure our selves by the effects of election found in our selves as effectuall calling faith justification sanctification and good workes Secondly by the testimony of Gods Spirit in us Rom. 8.9.16 17. 1 Cor. 2.10 11 12. 2 Cor. 1.21.23 We judge our selves elect by the judgement of faith which is infallible 1 Thes. 1.4 Adoption is the first and proper thing whereunto we are predestinated and there is no exceeding benefit whereof it should not be the effect as in the Trinity the Father is first then the Sonne and the Holy Ghost In the order of working our salvation the first is the Father predestinating the second is the Son redeeming the third is the Holy Ghost sanctifying That the Father is first in working see Joh. 5.19.30 16.13 14. Adoption being then the worke of the Father it is before Redemption and so before Justification and Sanctification The first worke of Grace in bringing us to Christ is given by the Father Joh. 6.65 44 37 39. Opposite to Election is Reprobation which is Gods decree to leave some in their sinne and misery and for sinne to damne them or reprobation is Gods decree to passe by some and not elect them and to permit those to fall into sinne and to punish them eternally for sin Herein are two acts 1 Negative 2 Positive Negative to refuse or not elect positive to punish for sinne for that from which they are reprobate is from grace and glory and that whereto they are appointed is damnation the cause of not electing Gods just pleasure and will Mat. 11. Rom. 9. without respect of good or evill in the creature the cause of the second act damnation is mans sinne God is hee that