Selected quad for the lemma: death_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	sin_n	soul_n	wage_n	5,338	5	10.9200	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A63051	A vindication of the Protestant doctrine concerning justification, and of its preachers and professors, from the unjust charge of Antinomianism in a letter from a minister in the city, to a minister in the countrey.	Traill, Robert, 1642-1716.	1692 (1692)	Wing T2023; ESTC R938	36,348	46

Faith of it from being confounded Hence we see the difference betwixt mens frame in their Disputes and Doctrine about these points and their own sense and pleadings with God in Prayer 4. This Doctrine of Justification by Faith without any mixtures of man however and by what Names and Titles soever they be dignified or distinguished hath this undoubted advantage that it is that which all not judicially hardened and blinded do or would or must betake themselves unto when dying How loath would men be to plead that Cause on a Death-bed which they so stoutly stand up for with Tongue and Pen when at ease and that evil day far away They seem to be jealous least God's Grace and Christ's Righteousness have too much room and Men's Works too little in the the business of Justification But was ever a sensible dying person exercised with this jealousie as to himself Even bloody Stephen Gardiner when a dying could answer Dr. Day Bishop of Chichester who offered comfort to him by this Doctrine What my Lord will you open that Gap now then farewel altogether To me and such other in my case you may speak it but open this Window to the People then farewel altogether Book of Martyrs V. 3. p. 450. In which words he bewrayed a conviction of the fitness of the Doctrine to dying persons and his knowledge that it tended to the destroying the Kingdom of Antichrist As Fox in the same Book of Martyrs Vol. 2. p. 46. gives this as the reason of Luther's success against Popery above all former attempts of preceeding Witnesses But saith he Luther gave the stroke and pluckt down the soundation and all by opening one vein long hid before wherein lieth the touchstone of all Truth and Doctrine as the only Principal Origine of our Salvation which is our free Justification by Faith only in Christ the Son of God Consider how it is with the most holy and eminent Saints when dying Did ye ever see or hear any boasting of their works and performances They may and do own to the praise of his Grace what they have been made to be what they have been helped to do or suffer for Christ's sake But when they draw near to the Awful Tribunal what else is in their Eye and Heart but only Free-Grace Ransoming Blood and a Well-ordered Covenant in Christ the Surety They cannot bear to hear any make mention to them of their Holiness their own Grace and Attainments In a word the Doctrine of Conditions Qualifications and Rectoral Government and the distribution of Rewards and Punishments according to the New Law of Grace will make but an uneasie Bed to a dying Man's Conscience and will leave him in a very bad condition at present and in dread of worse when he is feeling in his last Agonies that the Wages of Sin is Death if he cannot by Faith add but the Gift of God is Eternal Life through Jesus Christ our Lord Rom. 6.23 He is a wise and happy man that anchors his Soul on that Rock at which he can ride out the storm of Death Why should men contend for that in their life that they know they must renounce at their death Or neglect that Truth now that they must betake themselves unto then why should a man build a House which he must leave in a Storm or be buried in its ruines Many Architects have attempted to make a sure House of their own Righteousness but it is without a Foundation and must fall or be thrown down sorrowfully by the foolish Builder which is the better way It is a great Test of the Truth of Doctrine about the way of Salvation when it is generally approv'd of by sensible dying men And what the Universal Sense of all such in this case is as to the Righteousness of Christ and their own is obvious to any man He was an ingenuous Balaamite who being himself a Papist said to a Protestant Our Religion is best to live in and yours best to die in But notwithstanding of these great advantages and they are but a few of many that this Doctrine is attended with There are not a few disadvantages it labours under which though they are rather to its commendation than reproach yet they do hinder its Welcome and Reception As 1. This Doctrine is a Spiritual Mystery and lyeth not level to a Natural Understanding 1 Cor. 2.10 14. Working for Life a man naturally understands but believing for Life he understands not To mend the Old Man he knows but to put on the New Man by Faith is a Riddle to him The study of Holiness and to endeavour to square his Life according to God's Law he knows a little of though he can never do it but to draw Sanctification from Christ by Faith and to walk holily in and through the force of the Spirit of Christ in the Heart by Faith is meer canting to him A new Life he understands a little but nothing of a New Birth and Regeneration He never saw himself stark dead Nay not only is it unknown to the Natural Man but he is by his Natural State an enemy to it he neither doth nor can know it nor approve of it 1 Cor. 2.14 Wisdom that is Christ's way of saving men revealed in the Gospel is justified of all her Children and of them only Matth. 11.19 Luke 7.29 30 35. This Enmity in Men to the Wisdom of God is the cause not only of this contempt of its Ministry but is a Temptation to many Ministers to patch up and frame a Gospel that is more suited to and taking with and more easily understood by such men than the true Gospel of Christ is this Paul complains of in others and vindicates himself from 1 Cor. 1 17. and 2.2 he warns others against it Col. 2.8 2 Cor. 11.3 4. Gal. 1.6 7 8 9. And it is certain that doing for Life is more suited to corrupt Nature than Believing is 2. Our Opposers in this Doctrine have the Many for them and against us as they of old boasted John 7.48 This they have no ground to glory in though they do not we to be ashamed of the Truth because we cannot vie numbers with them With our Opposers are all these sorts and they make a great number though I do not say or think that all our Opposers are to be ranked in any of these Lists for some both Godly and Learned may mistake us and the Truth in this matter 1. They have all the Ignorant People that know nothing of either Law or Gospel They serve God they say but most fasly and hope that God will be merciful to them and save them To all such both the clear explication of God's Law and the Mysteries of the Gospel are strange things Yet sincere obedience they love to hear of for all of them think there is some sincerity in their hearts and that they can do somewhat But of Faith in Christ they have no knowledge except by faith you

doth not shew it self by Good Works without which no man is or can be Justified either in his own Conscience or before Men. But it doth not hence follow that we cannot be justified in the sight of God by Faith only as the Apostle Paul asserts the latter and the Apostle James the former in a good Agreement 2. There appears to be some difference or mis-understanding of one another about the true Notion and Nature of Justifying Faith Divines commonly distinguish betwixt the Direct Act of Faith and the Reflex Act. The Direct Act is properly Justifying and Saving Faith by which a lost sinner comes to Christ and relies upon him for Salvation The Reflex Act is the looking back of the Soul upon a former Act of Faith A Rational Creature can reflect upon his own Acts whether they be Acts of Reason Faith or Unbelief A Direct Act of saving Faith is that by which a lost Sinner goes out of himself to Christ for help relying upon him only for Salvation A Reflex Act ariseth from the sense that Faith gives of its own inward Act upon a serious Review the truth and sincerity of which is further cleared up to the Conscience by the Genuine Fruits of an unfeigned Faith appearing to all men in our good Lives and holy Conversation But for as plain as these things be yet we find we are frequently mistaken by others and we wonder at the Mistake for we dare not ascribe to some Learned and Good Men the Principles of Ignorance or Willfulness from whence mistakes in plain Cases usually proceed When we do press Sinners to come to Christ by a Direct Act of Faith consisting in an humble Reliance upon him for Mercy and Pardon They will understand us whether we will or not of a Reflex Act of Faith by which a Man knows and believes that his sins are pardoned and that Christ is his When they might easily know that we mean no such thing Mr. Walter Marshall in his excellent Book lately Published hath largely opened this and the true Controverly of this day though it be 8 or 9 Years since he died 3. We seem to differ about the Interest and Room and Place that Faith hath in Justification That we are justified by Faith in Jesus Christ is so plainly a New Testament-Truth that no Man pretending never so bately to the Christian Name denies it The Papists own it and the Socinians and Arminians and all own it But how different are their senses of it And indeed you cannot more speedily and certainly judge of the spirit of a Man than by his real inward sense of this phrase if you could reach it a Sinner is justified by Faith in Jesus Christ Some say that Faith in Jesus Christ justifies as it is a Work by the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 credere as if it came in the room of perfect Obedience required by the Law Some that Faith justifies as it is informed and animated by Charity so the Papists who plainly Confound Justification and Sanctification Some say That Faith justifies as it is a fullfilling of the Condition of the New Covenant if thon believest thou shalt be saved Nay they will not hold there but they will have this Faith to Justifie as it hath a Principle and Fitness in it to dispose to sincere Obedience The plain Old Protestant Doctrine is That the place of Faith in Justification is only that of a Hand or Instrument receiving the Righteousness of Christ for which only we are justified So that though great Scholars do often confound themselves and others in their Disputations about Faith's justifying a Sinner every poor plain Believer hath the Marrow of this Mystery feeding his heart and he can readily tell you That to be justified by Faith is to be justified by Christ's Righteousness apprehended by Faith 4. We seem to misunderstand one another about the Two Adams and especially the latter See Rom. 5.12 to the end In that excellent Scripture a Comparison is instituted which if we did duly understand and agree in we should not readily differ in the Main things of the Gospel The Apostle there tells us That the First Adam stood in the Room of all his Natural Posterity He had their Stock in his hand While he stood they stood in him when he fell they fell with him by his Fall he derived Sin and Death to all them that spring from him by Natural Generation This is the sad side But he tells us in opposition thereto and in comparing therewith that Christ the Second Man is the New Head of the Redeemed World He stands in their Room his Obedience is theirs and he communicates to his Spiritual Off-spring the just contrary to what the first sinful Adam doth to his Natural Off-spring Righteousness instead of Guilt and Sin Life instead of Death Justification instead of Condemnation and Eternal Life instead of Hell deserved So that I think the 3 d 4 th and 5 th Chapters of the Epistle to the Romans for the Mystery of Justification and the 6 th 7 th and 8 th for the Mystery of Sanctification deserve our deep Study But what say others about Christ's being the Second Adam We find them unwilling to speak of it and when they do it is quite alien from the Scope of the Apostle in that Chapter Thus to us they seem to say That God as a Rector Ruler Governour hath resolved to save Men by Jesus Christ That the Rule of this Government is the Gospel as a new Law of Grace That Jesus Christ is set at the Head of this Rectoral Government That in that State he sits in Glory ready and able out of his Purchase and Merits to give Justification and Eternal Life to all that can bring good Evidence of their having complied with the Terms and Conditions of the Law of Grace Thus they antedate the Last Day and hold forth Christ as a Judge rather than a Saviour Luther was wont to warn people of this distinction frequently in his Comment on the Epistle to the Galatians And no other Headship to Christ do we find some willing to admit but what belongs to his Kingly Office As for his Suretiship and being the Second Adam and a publick person some treat it with Contempt I have heard that Dr. Tho. Goodwin was in his Youth an Arminian or at least inclining that way but was by the Lord's Grace brought off by Dr. Sibbs his clearing up to him this same Point of Christ's being the Head and Representative of all his People Now though we maintain stedfastly this Headship of Jesus Christ yet we say not That there is an actual partaking of his Fulness of Grace till we be in him by Faith though this Faith is also given us on Christ's behalf Phil. 1.29 and we believe through Grace Acts 18.27 And we know no Grace we can call nothing Grace we care for no Grace but what comes from this Head the Saviour of the Body But so much shall