Selected quad for the lemma: death_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	law_n	sin_n	wage_n	5,559	5	11.2143	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A96425	The doctrines of the Arminians & Pelagians truly stated and clearly answered: or, An examination and confutation of their ancient errors, which by the Church of Christ in former ages were justly abhorred, but of late under the names of Comfortable truths to be embraced are newly published. Concerning I. The universality of Gods free-grace in Christ to mankind. II. Concerning election. III. Redemption. IV. Conversion. V. Perserverance. Wherein the principal arguments brought to maintaine the orthodox faith are propounded, and the principal objections against them answered. / By Thomas Whitfield, minister of the gospel at Bugbrook in Northampton-shire. The Tares of Arminian heresie showed in former times (and by the help of prelatical influence then given to them increasing) and now growing up so much in these; I conceive this book wherein the author doth learnedly state and confute those opinions, is very worthy the publike light. Joseph Caryll.	Whitfield, Thomas, Minister of the Gospel.; Carly, Joseph, 1602-1673.	1651 (1651)	Wing W2006; Thomason E646_7; ESTC R208798	87,011	101

all The Apostle joynes these together as effects depending one on another God sent his Son to redeem those that were under the Law that we might receive the adoption of sonnes and because ye are sons he hath sent the spirit of his Sonne into your hearts Gal. 4.5.6 So that both Adoption and the spirit of Adoption are made to flow from Redemption as the proper effects of it and Redemption is the proper effect of Christs death Besides he saith that if any man hath not the Spirit of Christ he is none of Christs Rom. 8.9 If Christ hath bought us with the price of his bloud we are not our own but his 1 Cor. 6. last if we be his he will give us his Spirit first or last for if any man hath not the spirit of Christ he is none of Christs Ground 2 Another ground which Tho. More brings for stablishing his doctrine of universall grace is a distinction betwixt a common salvation which Christ hath purchased for all and a speciall salvation which he hath purchased for beleevers For answer unto which it will not be denied that all sorts of men have many common benefits by Christs comming into the World and by the Redemption which he hath purchased But that he hath purchased a common Salvation for all if Salvation be taken in a spirituall sense namely for eternall life or something which belongs to it in which sense it is alway taken in the New Testament doth no where appear in Scripture Object Iude writes to the Church of a common Salvation Iude 3. Answ This cannot be so understood For 1. The Apostle would never have given such diligence and thought it so needfull to write to them of such a Salvation as was common with them to others who were damned having in the foregoing verse directed his speech to such as were called and sanctified of God the Father reserved unto Iesus Christ and prayed for mercy and peace which are effects of speciall love in their behalf he would never descend so low in the very next words as to commend so earnestly to them a salvation which was common to those that were lost 2. This Salvation mentioned in the beginning of the verse is of no larger extent then the Faith mentioned in the end Which whether it be understood of the grace of Faith or of the doctrine of Faith as it is usually taken by Interpreters yet it is a gift or priviledge peculiarly belonging to the Saints it was once given to the Saints not to all so that the common salvation here spoken of is the salvation which was common to them together with the Apostle yea with all beleevers Object Hee is the Saviour of all men but specially of those that beleeve 1 Tim. 4.10 here is a common and speciall salvation plainely held forth Answ These words are not spoken of the second Person of Christ as Mediatour but of God by whose providence all men are preserved especially beleevers For the Apostle having shewed before that godlinesse is profitable to all things having the promises of the blessings of this life and the life to come Ver. 8. adds Ver. 10. therefore we labour and suffer rebuke because we trust in the living God who is the Saviour of all men especially of those that beleeve 2. The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here used signifies no more then a preserver in which sense it is said that the Lord preserves both man and beast Psa 36.6 and 145.15.16 Neither could this stand with the wisedome of Christ to shed his bloud which was far more precious then gold or silver or any corruptible thing to purchase Salvation for thousands who were already damned when Christ died to save them That all the wicked who died before Christs coming were in Hell is cleare by the parable of the rich man Luk. 16.23 and by many other Scriptures Neither could it much better stand with Christs wisdom to shed his precious bloud to purchase the salvation of those whom he certainly knew even at the instant when he died to save them shold be damned afterwards for he must needs know that for both these his death would be in vaine now it cannot stand with Christs wisedome to do any thing much lesse the greatest work of all in vaine Object Christs death is not in vaine even for those who are damned for hereby they are freed from originall sinne Answ 1. If they be free from the guilt of Original sin how come all men to be by nature the children of wrath Ephe. 2.2 2. How come Infants so soon as they are borne to bee subject to death death only is the wages of sinne and sinne makes us subject to wrath 3. When Christ takes away the guilt of sin he takes away also the power of sin Our old man was crucified together with him that the body of sin might be destroyed that we should no longer serve sinne Rom. 6.6 Now if the root be killed how comes it to be so fruitfull in sending forth branches the flesh daily lusting against the Spirit Gal. 5.17 yea all men walking after the flesh fulfilling the will of the flesh and of the mind Ephes 2.3 being not only sinfull but the servants of sinne sinne reigning in their mortall bodies and they obeying it in the lusts thereof Rom. 6.12.17.19.20 Object Christs death is not in vaine though all be not saved for he dyed to make them saveable and to open a door that they may be saved P. 39 Answ By making them saveable I know not well what can bee understood but procuring a possibility of salvation for them so that though Christ by his death hath not purchased actuall salvation for all yet he hath purchased a possibility of salvation for all and put them in such a condition wherein they may be saved but if so then it will follow 1. That the effect of Christs death was only a possible or potentiall and not an actuall salvation which agrees not with the Scripture expression For it is said he came into the world to save sinners 1 Tim. 1.16 not to purchase a possibility of salvation to redeem those that were under the Law Gal. 4.5 not to purchase a possibility of Redemption to take away the sins of the World Iohn 1.29 to save his people from their sins Matth. 1.21 which implies more then a possibility of these things 2. How could Christ by his death make them saveable who were already lost purchase a possibility of salvation for them who were already damned as millions of men were before his comming Inferni nulla redemptio there is no comming out of Hell There is a great Gulph set saith Abraham to the rich man Luk. 16.26 so that none can come from them to us 3. This possibility of salvation must have reference to man or to God If to man so that there is now a possibility purchased for man to save himselfe by comming to Christ if he will this cannot hold for no man

insisted upon because it is one of the Arminians strong holds Object 6 If the decree of election be absolute without any foresight of sin then such also is the decree of reprobation then as God hath decreed the end so he hath decreed the meanes namely the fall of man and so he shall be the authour of sin Answ Though where he decrees the end he decrees the means also yet he doth not decree to work all the means but only such as are agreeable to his own nature It follows not therfore though God hath decreed Adams fall that he is the authour of it because he hath not decreed to work it but onely to permit it that God decreed to permit the fall is plain because otherwise it could not have come to passe for nothing can come to passe against Gods will And none can deny that God could hinder the fall if he would If therefore he would not hinder it he was willing it should be And the Arminians themselves grant that God gave to man sufficient grace but not effectuall for then he had actually stood now if he did deny him effectuall grace without which he saw certainly that he would fall being tempted to what end or purpose did he deny him this effectuall grace but that by permitting of his fall he might make way for the manifestation of his justice and mercy 2. In mans first transgression by eating the forbidden fruit as in all other sinfull acts there was natures work and so Gods worke for though the deformity was from man yet the act it selfe was from God in whom we live and move and what God doth in time he hath determined to do before all time therefore the fall must needs be decreed Object But here not only the manner of eating but the very eating it selfe was forbidden and therefore sinfull Answ Yet in this eating we must distinguish betwixt the eating it selfe and the vitiosity of it as being things in their own nature separable and distinct otherwise they might be praedicated the one of the other which they cannot be for the vitiosity is only an accident to the act of eating And it cannot be denyed that God doth concurre in the act and is the authour of that as he is the authour of every naturall act and therefore if the vitiosity could not be separated from it he should be the authour of that also Object God doth indeed decree to concurre with reasonable creatures in their actions but this is conditionally modo ipsi velint so they themselves will do this or that Answ God did concurre with man not only in the outward act of eating but in the inward act whereby he willed to eat for not only the hand and mouth but the minde and will move by him suppose that he did decree to concurre with man in the outward act of eating upon condition that man did will to eat yet upon what condition did he decree to concurre with him in this act of his will if it shall be said on this condition if man himselfe would it may as well be said that God did decree to make man eat so be it that he hid eat what need he to concurre with him in the act of his will when man willed the thing already 3. It follows no more that God is the authour of sin by decreeing this sin then by decreeing other sins now it is plain that he decreed the death of Christ for it s said that Herod Pontius Pilate and the people were gathered to gether to do whatsoever his hand and counsell had determined should be done against Christ Act 4.27 28. therefore the crucifying of Christ was determined and decreed of God and what greater wickednesse then those things which Herod Pilate and the Jews did against Christ Object But Gods decree is an energeticall decree and what he decrees he effectually procures to come to passe neither is his permission such a bare permission wherein he hath not a working hand as those hold who hold the absolute decree Answ It cannot be denyed that God hath a working hand in the sin that man commits for the Scripture plainely affirms thus much the Lord saith that he would harden Pharoahs heart Exod. 7.3 and that he had hardned it 10.1 He threatens to David that what David had done in secret he would do in the sight of the sunne speakeing of Absoloms sin with his fathers Concubines 2 Sam. 12.12 compared with 16.12 and he gave up the Gentiles to vile affections Rom. 1.28 and many other like expressions whereby it appears that there was more then a bare permission in the committing of these sinnes yet it followes not hence that God is the authour of sinne Quest How can God be free from blame if he works with man in the same blame-worthy action Because he works in a divers manner Answ As the law works in sin so God works for it is Gods agent and instrument that the law hath a work in sin appeares because it is said that where there is no law there is no transgression Rom. 4.15 and that when the Commandement came sin revived Rom. 7.9 yea the Gospell it selfe is the savour to death to some 2 Cor. 2.16 yet here neither Law nor Gospell are faulty causes of these things because they are onely causes by accident and do not per se in themselves and their owne nature tend to these ends but to the contrary the law tends to keep men from sin and the Gospell to bring life though by accident they worke sin and death God hardned Pharaohs heart not by instilling any hardnesse into it but by giving Pharaoh a charge and command to let his people go the command was good and in it self tended to a good end namely to make Pharaoh yeeld obedience and do his duty and it was good in God to propound this command and yet by accident it did irritate and stir up the stubbornnes and rebellion of Pharaohs heart so as he was hardned more then before He that stops a running stream hereby causeth the water to rise higher not by putting any more water to it but by stopping the course of that which runs already A Physitian by prescribing wholsome Physick to a distempered body may cause greater sicknes yea somtimes death yet here neither physick nor Physitian are justly to be blamed The Sun by the same beams raiseth a sweet smell from a Garden and an ill smell from a dunghill yet no fault in the Sun He that in felling of Wood by the slipping of the iron from the helve should slay his Neighbour Deut. 19.5 was the cause of his Neighbours death but not a faulty cause because only a cause by accident not intending it but man is causaper se of the sin he commits 2. Because man works to a divers end For God wrought with Iacobs sons in selling their brother into Egypt for it s said that he sent a man before them Psalm 105.17 but he had

not onely in mans free-will but in the rocke it selfe not onely in the sheepe but in the sheepheard for if he be both carefull and able to keep them what should hinder that they are not kept If it be said that their own wils hinder because they either neglect or reject their owne conservation this cannot be for when Christ made them his sheep of unwilling he made them willing to come to him to heare his voice and follow him when he takes them into his custody he causeth them to be both willing and carefull to remaine and abide with him If at any time they grow carelesse and backward they become crosse and perverse he causeth them to see this and repent of it otherwise how were he a faithfull sheepheard if he did not preserve those that are committed to his custody from all such dangers and defections as will bring destruction when he is able to doe it and when he hath promised that they shall never perish John 10.2 how was Christ a perfect Saviour as before was shewed if he should preserve and deliver his sheep for whom he hath laid down his life and whom he hath taken into his custody from some dangers and some enemies only and not from all if he should deliver them from externall enemies only and not from internall from fathan and this evill World but not from the power of that corruption that cleaves to their natures from the old man and body of sinne from that law of their members which rebels against the law of their mind and leads them captive to sinne and death from that flesh which alalway lusts against the Spirit as being alway contrary to it especially since this of all other enemies is the most dangerous as being within us and therefore neerest to us as being that without which all outward enemies could do us no harme outward enticings not being able to prevaile if we were not drawne away and enticed by our own concupiscence How can Christ bee said to save us out of the hands of our enemies and all that hate us if hee doth still leave us in the hand of our nearest and worst enemy saving us onely from the power of Satan and wicked men but leaving us to the power of sinne and corruption and to the sway of our owne evill hearts which are desperately wicked and deceitfull above all things Jer. 17.9 and which will certainly lead us to destruction if we be left to the evill bent and inclination of them To conclude how can the faithfull be said to have strong consolations Heb. 6.9 either from the promises of God or merits and mediation of Christ if the utmost extent of these be to give them assurance that they shall bee kept free onely from force and violence so as they shall never be drawne from Christ against their wills and made to fall away whether they will or no but otherwise if at any time their wills faile then shall Christs helpe be ready to faile and hee will no longer undertake the keeping of them then he sees them carefull to keep themselves Is it not Christs keeping that makes them watchfull and careful to keep themselves Is it not his care and good will that makes them both willing and able to resist temptation and to do all things needfull for their owne safety and preservation certainly if it were not they could take small comfort in all the promises that are made to them Object 3 Against the 8. argument it is objected that the word is in it selfe immortall seed though those perish who have received it The Word of God hath not this denomination of seed as it is considered in it selfe but as it hath relation to those that are borne of it and called immortall or incorruptible because it is the principle of an incorruptible and never dying life which denomination it could not have if the life that ariseth from it were subject to decay as that life is which ariseth from corruptible seed Object 2 Against that place 1 Iohn 3.9 it is objected that the regenerate man cannot commit a sinne unto death so long as the seed remaines in him but through his owne fauit through his negligence or wilfulnesse that seed may by little and little fall from him and then he may wholly fall Answ But this contradicts the Apostle and makes his argument of no force for he having affirmed that who ever is borne of God sinneth not that is doth not wholly fall under the power of sinne brings this as an argument to prove it because the seed the divine principle of regeneration remains in him which were of no strength if this seed might be lost and not remain and when the Apostle saith it doth remain how dare any say the contrary Other Objections answered Object 4 A righteous man may fall from his righteousnesse commit iniquity and dy in his sinne Ezek. 18.24 Answ This is not to be understood of true righteousnesse such as ariseth from inward sanctification of soule and spirit but for such outward actions of righteousnesse as may be performed by one whose heart is not sound and upright therefore where the Prophet speaks of the same thing Ezek. 33.13 he expresseth what kind of righteousnes here he means saying that if the righteous man trust to his owne righteousnesse and commit iniquity he shall die for the same hee that is truly righteous doth not trust to his own righteousnesse Object But if this be but seeming and feigned righteousnesse better then to forsake it then continue in it Answ The outward actions of righteousnesse may be good though somtimes they proceed not from a right heart a man may do that which is lawfull and right and thence be called a just man Ezek. 18.5 though these things proceed not from right principles within being ready to rest in the outward actions when the inward affections are wanting neither doth every one feign and dissemble who performs outward actions of obedience though not moved to do these by the strength of Gods commands and looking at Gods glory as his chief end Object But this outward righteousnesse will not bring men to life Answ But the way of righteousnesse leads to life Prov. 12. last though all that walke in this way do it not with a right heart 2 Chron. 25.2 and so misse of the end whereto the way leads the outward actions of righteous men are the way to blisse though they may bee done by such as are not truly righteous 2. Some understand this death which may befall a righteous man not of eternall death but temporall death or other temporall punishments but because this death stands in opposition against the life which a righteous man attains by persevering in the wayes of righteousnesse the former answer seems best to agree with the place and to satisfie the doubt Object 5 Every branch in me that bringeth not forth fruit he taketh away Iohn 15.2 therefore there are some that