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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

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Grand Difference between the Protestants and Rome Yea 't is that Doctrine that will only help to settle an awakened convinced believing Sinner in a sweet and lasting Peace and therefore in speaking to it I shall shew you I. Who are the Persons that shall be made Partakers of this Blessed Priviledge of Justification II. The Nature of Justification what it is III. What that Righteousness is for and by which we are justified at God's Bar. IV. The Time when God's Children are made Partakers of this Blessed Priviledge V. How we are justified by Faith VI. Objections against the Doctrine of Justification answered I. Who are the Persons justified Answ 1. Negatively not fallen Angels they have indeed sinned and by Sin thrown themselves into an Eternal Abyss of Misery but their Case is hopeless and remediless God has left them in the Ruines of their Fall without discovering to them any Way of Deliverance Heb. 2.16 He took not on him the Nature of Angels 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He did not catch or lay hold on the Angel but when they were falling he let them go 2. Positively But fallen Man not Man in Innocency but Man under the Sentence of Condemnation for Sin but yet it 's not all Sinners that shall be justified For all the World are become guilty before God Rom. 3.19 but all the World are not saved no in the Text you find some that are incensed against Christ that are angry with him these shall be ashamed there are a World of Sinners that notwithstanding the Gospel discovering Salvation shall be Eternally damned Rev. 21.8 but such as are justified must be 1. Elected and Chosen of God to be Heirs of Eternal Life Eph. 1.4 Chosen before the Foundation of the World 2. They must be Sinners whoever is justified must first be ungodly Rom. 4.5 3. They must be given to Christ John 6.37 All the Father hath given me shall come 4. Whoever is justified must first be accused the violated Law puts in a Plea against the Sinner John 5.45 Think not I will accuse you to the Father there is one that accuseth you even Moses in whom you trust i. e. The Law of Moses by the Works whereof they hoped to be justified St. Paul had found the accusing condemning Power of the Law in his own Conscience before he pleaded the Righteousness of Christ Rom. 7.9 5. One justified must be a repenting and returning Sinner for tho' Repentance be no meritorious Cause of Justification yet it 's absolutely necessary for Pardon Isa 55.7 Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous Man his Thoughts and return unto the Lord and he will have Mercy on him and to our God and he will abundantly pardon 'T is a fruitless Dispute whether Justification or Sanctification be first in Order of Nature for they both spring from one and the same Root viz. Free-Grace and never go alone and 't is certain none can have the one without the other 6. Whoever is justified must believe For we are saved by Faith Eph. 2.8 justified by Faith Rom. 3.28 'T is very absurd to say we are justified before we believe or without Faith II. I am now to shew you the Nature of Justification what it is Des Justification is in Acquittance or Discharge at God's Bar from all that the accusing Law hath to lay to our Charge and the giving such a Righteousness by Vertue whereof we can lay Claim to Eternal Life as ours Here are two Parts of Justification 1. A Discharge from what the Condemning Law hath to lay to our Charge now the Law pronounces a Curse Gal. 3.10 For as many as are of the Works of the Law are under a Curse for it is written Cursed is every one that continueth not in all Things written in the Book of the Law to do them By the Law here is meant the Covenant of Works as appears from Deut. 27.26 whence the Apostle borrows this So to be under the Curse of the Law is to be liable to all the Penalties the Law threatens Now Eternal Separation from God is what the Law threatens to the Breakers of it For that first Threatning Gen. 2.17 In the Day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely dye is Threefold involving a Temporal a Spiritual and an Eternal Death Now from this Curse and Death we must be acquitted this is the Pardon of Sin Isa 55.7 Eph. 1.7 In whom we have Redemption thro' his Blood even the Forgiveness of Sin and this Forgiveness is of meer Grace Eph. 1.7 According to the Riches of his Grace 2d Branch of justification is by pleading a Righteteousness or a Satisfaction at God's Bar. We are by Nature Sinners and by the Law accused or impleaded at God's Bar to which Accusation we must plead guilty or not guilty Not-guilty can none plead For we are all under Sin Rom. 3.9 All the World is become guilty before God v. 19. therefore the accused Sinner must plead guilty and in Order to bring him off at God's Bar he must plead either 1. Meer Sovereign Mercy q. d. Lord I have sinned and deserved thy Wrrth and Curse but thou art a Merciful and Gracious God ready to pardon willing to forgive a God which takest no Pleasure in the Misery and Sufferings of thy Creatures I therefore plead Free and Sovereign Mercy Thus the condemned Creature throws himself upon the Mercy of the Judge but this is not properly to plead but to beg I do not say God could not have saved the Sinner this way by passing a meer Act of Sovereign Grace without respect to his Justice but I do say God will not do it he will save Sinners in such a way as his Justice as well as Mercy shall be glorified in their Salvation therefore meer Mercy cannot be pleaded Therefore 2. The Accused Sinner must plead a Satisfaction to the Law a Righteousness such as the Law and Justice of God requires This is indeed the Way in which we are to look for Justification we must plead a Satisfaction made to Divine Justice and a Righteousness in which we may stand righteous at God's Bar and this must be either a Righteousness inherent in our own Persons which is the Righteousness of Sanctification or without us the Merits and Righteousness of another 1. Inherent in our selves 'T is true all God's Saints are inherently righteous for by that blessed Work of Regeneration and Sanctification they are truly tho' not perfectly righteous as 't is said of Zachary and Elizabeth Luke 1.6 They were both righteous before God walking in all the Ordinances and Commandments of the Lord blameless They were not sinle●● and Legally righteous but they allowed no Sin sincerely endeavouring to keep a good Conscience both towards God and Man All regenerate Believers are thus righteous God testifies of Noah Gen. 7.1 Thee have I seen righteous b●fore me in this Generation But this inherent Righteousness of Sanctification cannot be pleaded at God's Bar for our Justification 1.
at least twenty five Years before he offered up his Son as appears Gen. 15 6. So that James speaks only of a Declarative Justification before Men and in our own Consciences and so when Abraham is said to be justified by offering up Isaac the Meaning is by this his Sincerity was made known to him he had a full and clear Discovery that his Faith was a saving justifying Faith Gen. 22.12 2. This seeming Difference between St. Paul and St. James may be reconciled by considering and rightly distinguishing the Meaning of this Term Faith Now Faith is taken sometimes 1. For a True Saving Lively Faith which works by Love and is productive of all Holy Obedience and this is that Faith St. Paul means when he says We are justified by Faith only 2. The Word Faith is sometimes taken for a false dead and barren Assent to the Gospel and this is such a Faith as Devils and Hypocrites may be supposed to have and this is the Faith St. James opposes in Justification We are not justified by Faith i. e. by a dead barren unactive Assent to the Gospel But Abraham and Rahab were justified by Works i. e. Their good Works justified their Faith or proved then Faith to be a truly Lively Saving and Justifying Faith Thus these two Apostles are reconciled St. Paul separates Works from Justification but not from Faith St. James joins Works to Faith but not for Justification at God's Bar but before Men and in our own Consciences Now by what hath been said it is abundantly evident that we have no Righteousness in our selves by which we can be justified at God's Bar but that Righteousness by which we are justified before God must be a Righteousness of another performed for us and in our stead Now my next Work is to shew you what that is III. That Righteousness by and for which we are esteemed righteous at God's Bar is the Active and Passive Obedience of Jesus Christ performed by him in our stead imputed to us and received only by Faith This is very clear from Holy Scripture For First As we by Sin are under the Curse of the Law Gal. 3.10 and deserve Hell so Christ by his Death hath redeemed us from that Curse Eph. 1.7 In whom we have Redemption by his Blood the Forgiveness of Sin so Gal. 3.12 13 14. There is no other way for a Sinner to be brought from under the Curse of the Law and Wrath of God but by the Merits Death and Satisfaction of Christ Secondly The Righteousness of Christ is imputed to us for our Justification Now here Consider these Two Things 1. What is meant by the Righteousness of Christ 2. That Christ's Righteousness is that Righteousness by which we are justified before God 1. What are we to understand by the Righteousness of Christ Answ That Righteousness of Christ which is imputed to us for our Justification is the Active and Passive Obedience of Christ to the Law as our Mediator and Surety For the Moral Law required two Things First Sinless and Perfect Obedience Secondly In Case of Sin and the Law broken the Law required Satisfaction Now the Lord Jesus Christ as our Mediator and Surety did both these for us 1. Christ's Active Obedience to the Law was for us that forasmuch as we had broken the Law Christ obeyed and fulfilled it for us Gal. 4.4 When the Fulness of time was come God sent forth his Son made of a Woman made under the Law and the Reason is given v. 5. To redeem or satisfie Divine Justice for those which were under the Law Rom. 8.3 For what the Law could not do in that it was weak thro' the Flesh God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful Flesh v. 4. That the Righteousness of the Law might be fulfill'd in us c. The Law could not justifie because we could not keep it therefore God sent his Son in our stead to do it for us and this Active Obedience of Christ is imputed to us for our Justification 2. The Law broken threatens a Curse Gal. 3.10 Christ came from Heaven and endures this Curse for us the Death he dyed was for us Gal. 3.12 13. he dyed the Death and suffered the Penalty due to us and By his S●ripes we are healed Isa 53.4 5 6. He was delivered for our Sins and raised again for our Justification Rom. 4. last and as he suffered the Curse so fulfilled the Righteousness of the Law for us Rom. 8.3 For what the Law could not do in that it was weak c. God sending his own Son in the Likeness of sinful flesh and for sin condemned sin in the flesh that the Righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us The Law not being able to justifie us because we we were unable to keep it God pitying us in this State sent his Son in our stead or place to fulfil the Law which being done by Christ in our Nature as our Surety is done in us This is that Righteousness by and for which we are justified and accounted righteous at God's Bar. Now this Righteousness of Christ is called the Righteousness of God Rom. 1.17 because it is the Righteousness of him who is God And the Righteousness of Faith Rom. 4.11 because that Righteousness that Faith eyes and looks at in Justification The Righteousness of the Law Rom. 8.3 4. because it is such a perfect Righteousness as the Law requires 2. Now this Active and Passive Obedience of Christ is that Righteousness by and for which we are justified at God's Bar. And this is the Meaning of all those Scriptures which speak of our Pardon Acceptance and Justification at God's Bar to be of Grace meer Free-grace Rom. 3.24 25. Rom. 5.1 We read of Righteousness imputed Rom. 4.6 Blessed is the Man to whom the Lord imputeth Righteousness c. v. 9. Faith was reckoned for Righteousness so v. 11 22 23 24. Now what was imputed it was Faith i. e. the Object of Faith the Righteousness of Christ which Faith look'd at and that was not an inherent Righteousness in the Person of the Believer but an Objective Righteousness in the Person of Christ So then the only Plea the Arraigned Accused Sinner can make for himself at God's Bar is this O Lord I readily confess I have sinned and by Sin deserve to be Eternally damned yet in Love to lost Sinners thou hast given Christ who by his Active Obedience has fulfill'd the Law and by his Sufferings hath purchased Eternal Redemption for all them that believe in him obey and receive him as offered in the Gospel I see my self lost and undone by Sin I sly by Faith to him and rest upon him alone for Pardon Justification and Eternal Life He is the Lord my Righteousness I resolve upon New Obedience and Holiness but I will not trust to any Thing in my self but to the Merits and Righteousness of Christ alone This is the Believer's Plea at God's Bar for Pardon and
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