Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	law_n	sin_n	transgression_n	1,540	5	10.6759	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A33944	The marrow of Christianity, or, A spirituall discovery of some principles of truth meet to be knowne of all the saints : represented in ten sections / by T. Collier ; whereunto is added an epistle, written by M. Saltmarsh.	Collier, Thomas, fl. 1691.; Saltmarsh, M.	1650 (1650)	Wing C5292; ESTC R29305	55,174	122

of Christ teacheth the spirituall knowledge of God 1. Cor. 2.12.14.15.16 Hence it is that those who are taught of God despise the worlds wisdome and are content to be fooles to the world and in the worlds eyes that they may be wise in God Hence it is likewise that so many ignorants in the wise and learned mens account are made partakers of the knowledge of God in the mystery which indeed according to the word of the Apostle 1 Cor. 1.27 confounds the wise and learned and mighty things of the world this being a truth that Saints are made one in the wisdome of the Father How should this in the first place incourage them to look up to the Lord for the more full enjoyment of this spirituall wisdome that as they are made one in the wisdom of God so they might live in the same wisdome and from a deep sense of their own folly to look unto the Lord for continuall teachings and leadings forth in the spirit expecting that promise to be fulfilled Thou shalt heare a voice behind thee saying This is the way walke in it when thou turnest to the right hand or to the left 2. This might be a ground of comfort to the Saints in all their walkings with God the wisdome of God is theirs that God with and in whom they are made one is their wisdome and in the conclusion they shall be swallowed up in the perfection of it as Christ himselfe 1 John 3.2 3. This might answer that foolish opinion of they world who look upon the most spirituall Saints as the worst fooles in the world It is true the wisdom of God is folly with men but if the could look with a spirituall eye they should see that those people are the only wise people wise in God and those who live below upon Creatures and things that will not nor cannot satisfie are indeed in Gods account the only fooles and they themselves shall be driven to confesse it one day 4. Christ and the Saints are made one with God in righteousnesse Gods righteousnesse was Christs righteousnesse for the fulnesse of the God-head dwelt in him bodily He was filled with the spirituall in-dwellings of God who continually acted him according to the divine pleasure and as the second man was made one in the righteousnesse of the Father so are all the Saints made one in the same righteousnesse he was made sinne for us that wemight be made the righteousnesse of God in him 2 Cor. 5.21 Quest How may the Saints be said to be the righteousnesse of God in Christ Answ Either First in the Letter there is a righteousnesse presented which is the first thing sinners are made partakers of that is the righteousnesse of a Christ dying upon the Crosse making satisfaction to the letter of the Law and to the conscience troubled by reason of that letter which is indeed the cause of sin for where no law is there is no transgression Now Christ dying upon the Crosse satisfies the Law and likewise upon the sight and application of him satisfies the troubled conscience This is the first righteousnesse of God discovers to the soules of sinners and by faith makes them partakers of it and this is called the righteousnesse of God because God gave forth his Son inabled him to go through and by his suffering to obtaine such a righteousnesse for his people that might both satisfie the Law transgressed and the Conscience of mans transgressing Secondly in the spirit the Saints are made the righteousnesse of God that is God now as in Christ dwells and acts in the Saints by his Spirit writes his Law in their hearts makes them partakers of his owne nature and so goes on in fulfilling his owne righteousnesse in them For the righteousnesse of the Law in the Spirit is fulfilled in us as well as the Law in the Letter for us who walke not alter the flesh that is after the Law in the Letter but after the spirit of Christ who dwels in us and acts according to its own pleasure and so by degrees drawes up the spirits of his people to himselfe untill at last they are swallowed up in the fulnesse of the rigbteousnesse of God in the Spirit and be made wholly and for ever one in the Father with Christ 1 Iohn 1.2 A glorious mysterious truth meet to be knowne of all spirituall Ones this is the top of the Saints glory and their height of spirituall perfection the knowledge and enjoyment of this spirituall Onenesse in the Father and in the sonne 1 Iohn 2.2 4. 5. There is an Onenesse in love and delight between the Father Son and Saints the Fathers love and delight is in his Son and Saints Mat. 3.17 This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased well pleased with his Son and with his Saints in his Son Hence the Lord speaking after the manner of men is said to delight and sing and rejoyce over his people even as the Bridegrome rejoyceth over the Bride Esa 62.5 Zeph. 3.17 to rejoyce even with joy and singing So Likewise it is the delight and joy of the Saints to live in the Fathers love the very thoughts of it is precious and the injoyment of it exceeding glorious though the soule seemes to come short of the perfection of that injoyment in this world yet what it sees and injoyes with the expectation of perfection in another world fills the soule with joy unspeakeable and full of glory and now as the soule dwells in the Fathers love delight and joy so likewise it dwels in the Fathers will and it delights in and is well pleased with the will of the Father it can say with Christ what ever temptation presents it selfe yet not my will but thy will be done such is the Onenesse betweene the Father Sonne and Saints they delight and take pleasure in each other 6. There is a union in glory likewise the Fathers glory is the Sonnes glory and the Sonnes glory is the Saints glory what this glory shall be is unconceiveable and unexpressable to go about to expresse it either with tongue or pen would rather darken it then illustrate it yet a word by the way the perfection of the Saints glory shall be the enjoyment of all things in God who is and shall be their everlasting fulnesse in the spirit Those who dreame of a Kingdome after the flesh or of any externall pleasures in the highest measure discover themselves to have exceeding carnall thoughts of the Saints glory It is true they shall have a Kingdom but a spiritual one so called because injoying all spirituall satisfactions in the fountaine when the body and all the whole internall and externall part of man shall be turned into spirit 1. Cor. 15.44 And our vile body shall be changed made like his glorious body In a word Such is the Saints Glory and shall be in the perfection of it through their union with God in Christ that we must conclude

as the instrumentall meanes of this spirit working as the principall meanes Rom. 10.14 Iohn 6.63 now it is true God is not limited in his way of working that is he hath not confined himselfe to a verbal preaching although it is true likewise that he ordinarily and usually worketh faith by such meanes but a Gospell-preaching is of necessity in the working of faith that is a spirituall Gospel-discovery of the love of God in Christ and such a preaching may be by the spirit of Christ in reading some word or any other way he pleaseth to work and it may truly be called a Gospell-preaching any spirituall Gospel-discovery to a soule through which it is brought up into Gospell-injoyments may truly be called a spirituall unfolding or preaching of the Gospell hence it is that the preaching of the Letter or a verball preaching is no where called a powerfull and prevailing preaching unlesse the spirit preach it is the spirit that must convince the World of sin Ioh. 16. And our Gospell came not onely in word but in power and in the holy spirit 1 Thes 1.5 It is true God usually worketh by means but it is as true that he can as well work spiritually without meanes if he please and this he hath done much of late I do not question but many who are spiritually inlightned and live in the spirituall injoyments of God have had experience of it Qu. 3. What are the properties and effects of faith An. The properties and effects of Faith are many It justifies the soule from sin Act. 13.39 by him all that believe are justified from all things from which they could not be justified by the law of Moses Qu. How may faith be said to justifie Answ 1. Not as the efficient cause of our Justification that is God onely in Christ it is God that justifies who shall condemne But 2. Faith justifies as it receives Christ and applyes him as its justification so that it is said to justifie because it satisfies and quiets the soule in Christ who is its justification Rom. 4.5 He that worketh not but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly his faith is counted for righteousnes Note two words 1. He that believeth on him that justifieth that is Christ all that believe are justified by him Acts 13.39 So it is Christ that justifieth faith only ownes that justification held forth in Christ 2. Word His faith is counted for righteousnesse that is either first God never declares a man righteous and just untill he gives him faith to enjoy his righteousnesse in Christ or else secondly his faith is counted or called his righteousnesse because he never till then enjoyed his righteousnesse And so that when I say or the Scripture saith that Faith justifieth that is faith receives and ownes the justification of God in Christ declared and so soule by it lives in the injoyment of justification and freedome from sin The 2. property or effect of faith is union and peace with God Rom. 5.1 Being justified by faith we have peace with God ch 15.13 Now the God of hope filyou with joy peace through believing This is one glorious effect that those who once were a farre off should now be made nigh by the blood of Christ and be brought into the injoyment of it by believing The third effect is it puts the soule into the possession of the love of God 1 Ioh. 4.16 We have known believed the love that God hath to us God is love and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God and God in him It acts the soule above it selfe and causeth it to dwel in God and so to dwell in his love and this is an exceeding glorious effects and that which in the fourth place fills the soule with joy 1 Pet. 1.8 joy unspeakable and full of glory What can a soule desire more then to dwell continually in the love of God When the soule is satisfied from its union with God and its dwelling in God that all the administrations and makings forth of God is love unto it And thus it dwels in love and from hence is filled with joy it causeth the soule alwayes to dwell at the right hand of God where is joy pleasure for ever more Fifthly in a word to conclude the effect of faith is such as that GOD by it workes up the soule to an internal and external conformity to Christ in some measure with a spirituall and eternal conformity in perfection in another world 1. Iohn 3.1 2 3. Phil. 3.19 where faith shall cease and love and unity be made perfect 1 Cor. 13.13 SECTION VI. Wherein is the condition of persons restored by Christ their union with God discovered THe Restauration of persons by Christ may be considered 1. Either external and generall or else 2. more special and spirituall First externally and generally and that hath a relation to all it is as ye have heard formerly 1. A condition of being in the world 2. A condition of possibility of a spirituall and eternall wel-being in God if God in his Sonne draw up the soule to himselfe Ioh. 6.44 But secondly and that I principally intend is the more speciall and spirituall condition of soules thus drawne up to God in Christ it is not onely a restauration to the condition of the first Adam with relation to a freedome from sin This every believer enjoyes by Christ a freedome a justification from sinne But secondly every soule drawne up out of it selfe to God is brought into the condition of the second Adam which is a condition as far above the first as the Heaven is above the Earth For the first man is above the earth earthly the second man is the Lord from Heaven and as all men have born the Image of the earthly so those who believe beare the Image of the Heavenly and as is the Heavenly such are all they that are heavenly 1 Cor. 15.47 48 49. And wherein in Christ exceeds the first Adam therein believers exceed for they are as he is even in this world 1 Iohn 4.17 Now the condition of Christ and so the Saints exceeds the condition of the first Adam not only in their being upheld by God but principally in these four particulars 1. In their spirituall relations unto God Christ and so all believers are related to the Father as Sons and that not only by creation as the first Adam or naturall generation but first Christ a Sonne by a spirituall proceeding and comming forth from the Father who was eternally one in the Father and so in him all believers are made by the same spirit the adopted sons of God being made partakers of the same divine Nature Adams Son-ship was in the flesh by creation ours in the spirit by regeneration and the spirit of adoption which is indeed a mystery to all naturall men and worthy to be looked into and knowne of all the sonnes and daughters of Syon 1. John 3.1 2 3. Behold what

shalt die the death Man having yet the principles of that law remaining in him God having by the promised Messiah given a farther being to mankind in the world he gives forth the righteous Law more at large in the letter that so his creatures might have a rule in the Letter to walke by and likewise might be the more sensible of the losse of both that principle and power they had once in Adam given unto them and likewise with it given though not the same power yet the same promise of externall life in the Land God gives them 2. The Law was that by which sin came that is by which sin became sinfull For it is true had not God given a Law yet man would have been acting contrary to the pure mind of God therefore he give a Law that sin might become out of measure sinfull and it was added because of transgression for where no Law is there is no transgression For by the Law was the knowledge of sin and so it was an administration of death both in the hands of Adam as well Moses 1. Cor. 3.6.7 3. The Law in the letter was an Image or Character of that spirituall righteousness God intended to bring in by Jesus Christ as Adam was an Image of that spirituall perfection God intended to make his partakers of in the spirit by Christ So this Law in the letter was a rule answerable to that morall principle of righteousnesse in Adam a Character likewise of that spiritual righteousnes that every believer attains in Christ the righteousnes of the law in the letter was not that believers injoy in Christ but that righteousnesse Adam injoyed in his state of innocency It was not the righteousnes of God but a Character of that righteousnes holyness and purity that all believers are made partakers of in the spirit It was not that righteousness by which God intended to give life and glory eternally but such a righteousness which had externall promises annexed unto it For if there had been a Law given that could have given life then righteousness had been by the Law Wherefore I conclude that the Law in the letter was but a Character of the spirituall righteousness of God which is the life of the Saints and that by which God never intended to justifie any to eternity for the law in the letter killeth not justifieth but the spirit giveth life 2. Cor. 3.6 The law was given to Adam in the letter and Moses was the Minister of the law in the letter but Christ is the Minister of the law in the spirit Therefore Moses saith himselfe A Prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you like unto me him shall you heare in all things Acts 3.22 23 Deyt 18.15 Obj. It is said Rom. 15.8 that Jesus Christ was the Minister of Circumcision Answ True he was the minister of it for the truth of God to confirm the promises made unto Abraham he was a Minister of it so as to fulfill the truth held forth in it So the word Minister Diaconos signifies God having promised Christ to come of the seed of Abraham he gives forth circumcision and divers other Ordinances as Types representing him and he is the Minister of all to act and fulfill all and to be the substance of all those Types for the truth of God else God had not been true in his promises neither had salvation been obtained either by the Fathers to whom the promises were made or the Gentiles who were a farr off and likewise included in the promises Therefore he was the Minister of circumcision for the truth of God to confirm the promises unto the Fathers and likewise that the Gentiles might glorifie God for his mercy Not so much a Minister in the giving forth of it but in the fulfilling of it which gives occasion to the Gentiles to rejoyce and praise the Lord. Obj. Paul applyeth the words of Moses in the Law Deut. 30.12 13 14. Rom. 10 6 7 8. to be the righteousnesse of faith the righteousnesse of faith speaketh on this wise Answ It is true that Christ and the righteousness of the Gospel was included in the Law There was a literall or externall righteousnesse expressed in the letter to which were externall pall promises annexed but there was a spirituall and internall righteousnesse included which only beleevers were made partakers of which was a righteousnesse brought in by Christ and obtained by faith which is the law in the spirit or that spiritual righteousnesse of God that beleevers are made partakers of which is the second thing propounded what the law in the spirit is Secondly the law in the spirit or the spirituall righteousnesse contained in the law as you have already heard is the righteousnesse of God which every believer is made partaker of Note these two words for the more full clearing of it First that there wasa spirituall righteousnesse included mystically in the letter of the Law which none ever saw into but those spiritually enlightned Paul had experience of it Rom. 7.14 For we know that the Law is spirituall but I am carnall The Law in the letter was not spirituall For the same Apostle could say that he walked concerning the righteousnesse of the Law in the letter blamelesse Phil. 3. yet he calls it a fleshly walking If any man had cause of glorifying in the flesh I much more And he saith he was alive ones without the Law but when the Commandment came sin revived and I died Rom. 7.9 alive without the law in the letter by that it was he judged himselfe to be alive he walked concerning that blamelesse but when the Commandment came that is when the spiritual righteousnesse of the Law was unfolded which was no lesse then the righteousnesse of God then he saw how short he came of that righteousnesse he was yet but in the letter in the flesh and not in the spirit Then sin revived I died Secondly that this Law in the spirit is that spirituall righteousnesse of God that believers are made partakers of 1 Cor. 3.6 The letter killeth but the spirit giveth life The letter killeth the letter requireth an exact and perfect obedience which none was able to performe and so the very letter of the law did kill So at first it killed Adam and all his posterity and so it killed the Jewes being given forth in a more large way for it was the administration of death but the spirit giveth life viz. the Lord Jesus the spirit and substance of the law both morall and ceremoniall for the first man was made a living soule to answer a morall righteousnesse the second was made a quickning spirit to give life to those dead in the first Adam And as the Father hath life in himselfe so hath he given to the Son to have life in himselfe and he quickneth whom he will John 5. The Law in the letter killeth the Law in the spirit quickneth Therefore Christ saith I came not