Selected quad for the lemma: death_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	adam_n	sin_n	wage_n	4,026	5	11.2119	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A65924	A vindication of the doctrine of Gods absolute decree and of Christs absolute and special redemption. In way of answer to those objections that are brought against them by Mr. Tho: Pierce, in his treatise, entituled, The divine philanthropy. By Tho: Whitfeld, minister of the gospel.	Whitfield, Thomas, Minister of the Gospel.	1657 (1657)	Wing W2011A; ESTC R222306	60,986	90

mistake Jacob for Esau and his savory meat for Esaus Venison there was no necessity in any of these things but all was done most freely yet all was guided by a secret and certain providence so as the event should not fail to come to pass as God had determined Every necessary truth is an eternal truth for it is a true rule Quod necessarium est semper verum est nec falsum esse potest A necessary proposition is that which is alway true and can never be false That Cain should kill his brother was no necessary truth before the thing was done that man should be a reasonable creature was a necessary truth before man was created It was no necessary truth that Adam should eat the forbidden fruit before he had eaten it and though then it was a truth yet no necessary truth for no circumstance can change the nature of things so as to make a necessary truth to become contingent or a contingent truth to become necessary True it is that when a thing is done it cannot be undone for a thing cannot be and not be both at one time but it was not necessary it should be done if it be a thing of a contingent nature What I now speak or write is necessary should be thus spoken or written but before it was not necessary I should speak or write any thing these being acts of liberty and freedom so it is in all actions of like nature in all contingent actions This for the second Objection Object 3. A third thing objected against the Absolute Decree is That it is against Gods Justice for if the Decree of Reprobation go before the foresight of sin then the innocent creature is designed to destruction which cannot agree with the Justice of God Answ For answer of this Two things are needful to be proved 1. That it is no injustice in God to punish the innocent creature 2. That by the Decree of Reprobation no innocent creature is designed to destruction For the first it may be proved these ways Argument 1 Mr. P. asserts Infants to be innocent creatures Cap. 4. Page 25. because they never did hurt any man in thought word or deed and these are subject to death and he cannot deny death to be a punishment for it is the wages of sin Rom. 6.23 And though death differs in degree from damnation yet it is a punishment and God cannot be unjust in any degree It may be Mr. P. may finde out some answer to this therefore we add further Christ Jesus was the most innocent person that ever was in the world Argument 2 one that knew no sin neither was any guile found in his mouth one that fulfilled all righteousness one in whom the Father was well pleased for he had done all his pleasure yet he laid on him the iniquities of us all he was wounded for our iniquities and broken for our transgressions Isa 53. The just suffered for the unjust 1 Pet. 3.18 Yea he suffered such a measure of his Fathers wrath as was answerable to that which all those who are saved by him should have suffered in hell for he being their surety it was necessary that he should fully discharge their debt by making full satisfaction in paying that which they should have paid Mr. P. knows well that many innocent creatures dayly suffer for his sake Argument 3 and are put to divers kindes of deaths some have their throats cut some are strangled some are knockt on the head according to the will and pleasure of those by whom they are killed and these are such as never offended or deserved any ill at his hands and may not God use the same liberty with creatures of his own making as man doth with those creatures which he never made He would think it ridiculous if any should clamor against him for cruelty and injustice when he treads a worm under his foot or crusheth a fly sitting on the wall yet there is not so great a disproportion betwixt him and the smallest worm as there is betwixt him or the greatest King in the world and the great Creator Man compared with God being but as a drop that hangs on a bucket or as the dust that cleaves to the ballance which swayes it neither one way nor another Argument 4 Isa 40.15 May not the Potter do what he will with the vessel which he hath made without any imputation of injustice yea though he breaks it in pieces or puts it to the basest uses the Apostle makes Gods power over his Creature to be full as large as the Potter hath over the Vessel that he hath made and gives this answer to the like Objection Rom. 9.21 God was not bound to preserve man in his being after he was made for he might have annihilated him as he made us of nothing so he might bring us to nothing and some deaths are less then annihilation Neither was he bound to preserve man from a sinful being as he did some of the Angels but he might suffer him to fall as he did some of them and then deal with him accordingly Thus we see it is no injustice in God to inflict sufferings upon innocent creatures 2. That by the Decree of Reprobation innocent creatures are not designed to destruction appears Because Reprobation is that everlasting purpose of God Argument 1 whereby he hath decreed to glorifie his justice in the just condemnation of sinful men here sin goes before condemnation though it goes not before Gods Decree for condemnation is the execution and is in time whereas the Decree is before all time It is a true rule that Deus vult hoc esse propter hoc sed non vult hoc propter hoc the one hath reference to the execution the other to the decree though there be a cause of the being of a thing yet there is none of Gods will It is the Tenet of the Schoolmen Nullamdari posse causam decreti divini ex parte volentis sed tantùm ex parte volitorum There can be no cause given of the Will and Decree of God as it is his act but onely of the things willed by him none of the Decree but onely of the Execution Mr. P. seems sometimes to grant this and if he would stand to it the controversie might soon be at an end for nothing is needful to go before the effect but the cause that which hath efficiency in some kinde or other in producing it and if there can be no kinde of cause going before Gods Decree his Decree may be without it God doth condemn no man in time but for sin Argument 2 therefore he determined to condemn no man but for sin for he doth things in time in that maner and order that he determined to do them before all time He actually condemns no man but for sin actually existing till after men have sinned but sin exists in time therefore if he should determine nothing touching mans everlasting estate

salvation is here fastened onely to believing and neither believing nor salvation to the man Object 6. Rom. 5.18 As by the offence of one man judgement came upon all to condemnation so by the righteonsness of one c. Here Christs righteousness is made of equal extent to Adams sin namely such as reacheth to all Answ 1. The Apostle doth here parallel Adams sin and Christs righteousness not in regard of their equal extent to all men in the world but to all their posterity As Adam by his sin conveyed sin and death to all his posterity so Christ by his Sufferings and Obedience conveys Righteousness and Life to all his posterity to all the faithful to all true believers who are called his seed Isa 59.21 and his children Heb 2.13 If there had been another generation of men that had not arisen out of Adams root they had not been involved in the guilt of Adams sin so there being a generation of men that never sprung out of Christs root that were never branches of that blessed Vine they shall never have part in those peculiar benefits which he hath purchased for his children for his seed and posterity for the members of his own body of whom onely he is the Savior Eph. 5.23 2. By this Argument all men should have Righteousness and Life and so all men in the end should certainly be saved for the Apostle saith expresly in this place that as by one mans sin condemnation is come upon all so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all to the justification of life Object 7. The covenant of grace is universal made with all mankinde therefore Christ died for all for he is the foundation of this covenant Answ 1. That the covenant of grace is universal can never be proved for how can Pagans and Infidels who never heard of Christ or covenant be said to be in covenant of whom the Apostle saith that they are without God in the world and are strangers from the covenant Eph. 2.12 2. In the first promise wherein the covenant of grace is held forth there is a direct distinction as hath been shewed betwixt the seed of the woman and the seed of the serpent the promise being made onely to the seed of the woman namely to Christ and those that should be born of him Heb. 2.13 3. The Apostle saith that the promise wherein the covenant was comprehended was made to Abraham and his seed not to seeds as speaking of many but to thy seed as of one that is Christ Gal. 3.16 Now if the covenant be made onely with Christ mystical head and members as here it must be understood because the promise is made not onely to Christ but to Abraham it is not made with all men all men are not Abrahams seed all men are not members of Christs mystical body but onely believers both of Jews and Gentiles these onely make that one seed 4. In the covenant of grace the Lord promiseth all those with whom he makes this covenant that he will give them a new heart and a new spirit that he will put his laws into their inward parts and write them in their hearts and this promise is made absolutely and without condition and therefore shall certainly be fulfilled to all those to whom it is made but all men have not new hearts and spirits given unto them therefore all are not within covenant neither is the covenant made with all Object All that are visible members of the Church that have received the Seal of the Covenant and do still own it are in covenant but many of these are ignorant or prophane and wicked therefore all that are in covenant have not new hearts and spirits given unto them neither is the law of God written in their hearts Answ The covenant of grace may be considered two ways either in regard of the outward dispensation and outward priviledges attending it or in regard of those inward graces which are the proper effects of it In regard of the outward dispensation and outward priviledges belonging to it all visible members of the Church may be said to be in covenant but in regard of the inward graces which are the proper effects and priviledges he longing to the covenant of grace those cannot be said to be in covenant who alway remain destitute of them As Abraham had a carnal seed who received circumcision which was the Seal of the covenant and did partake of other outward priviledges belonging to the people of God and a spiritual seed namely such as were of the faith of Abraham so he hath still No man can be said to be in covenant further then he knows it and professeth conformity to the conditions of it wicked men may have the covenant made known to them and make outward profession of conformity to it and so have communion with the people of God in all outward ordinances and enjoy all outward priviledges together with them but they cannot properly be said to be in covenant not partaking of the most essential parts of it of those great graces of Justification Sanctification and of Salvation in the end Object 8. The Apostle Peter speaks of such as denied the Lord that bought them 2 Pet. 2.2 therefore Christ hath died for wicked men that perish in the end Answ The Scripture sometimes speaks of things not onely as they are but as they seem and appear to be as they are in the judgements and opinions of men Thus our Savior having said in one place that to him that hath shall be given and from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath Mat. 13.12 in another place shews his meaning saying That shall be taken away which he seemed to have Luke 8.18 and in this sense he speaks when he saith that the whole have no need of the Physitian but the sick and that he came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance And thus it is said of king Ahaz that he sacrificed to the gods of Damascus that smote him 2 Chr. 28.23 they did not so indeed but he thought they did so they seemed to him to do so and therefore the Scripture speaks of it accordingly and so it is spoken in this place these men had the knowledge of Christ and made outward profession of him and his Religion and therefore seemed to be such as were bought and redeemed by him but they were not so indeed FINIS