Selected quad for the lemma: duty_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
duty_n	act_n	believe_v	faith_n	1,015	5	5.7119	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
B10040	The perfection of justification maintained against the Pharise the purity of sanctification against the stainers of it: the unquestionablenesse of a future glorification aganst the Sadduce: in severall sermons. Together with an apologeticall answer to the ministers of the new province of London in vindication of the author against their aspersions. / by John Simpson, an unworthy publisher of gospel-truths in London.	Simpson, John, 17th cent.	1648 (1648)	Wing S3817A; ESTC R184177	253,105	558

29.11 Wherefore let us be willing to receive Christ by faith and to receive faith as a gift God must cloath thee with his Sonne and give thee faith to put him on Refuse not this glorious garment because God will give it thee freely But bee contented to be made partaker of Christ and faith according to Gods own pleasure Think not with Simon Magus to buy the gifts of the Spirit faith is a free gift God will not sell a Diamond for dung Faith is a precious Diamond in a Christians crown workes before faith but dung Phil. 3. Cease then from thinking by thine owne workes to purchase that faith which God doth intend freely to give unto men because men can give no considerable price for it Make no more words in bargaining with God for faith He will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely Rev. 21.6 Let no man be kept back by his old age or sinnes from hoping to obtaine salvation through faith While we are in this world no repentance is too late there is a way to mercy Nec quisquam aut peccatis retardebitur aut annis ad salutem consequendam In isto adhuc mundo manenti paenitentia nulla sera est Patet ad indulgentiam additus Ciprian Object But if faith be such a free gift why doth not God give the same measure of faith unto all believers Answ Hee may doe what hee will with his owne He may give him the greatest measure of faith who deserves faith lest Ephes 4.7 Vnto every one of us is given faith according to the measure of the gift of Christ As a man that giveth measures of wheate freely to beggars may give one more and another lesse without doing any wrong So God may measure forth faith unto us largely according to his owne will wlthout wronging those who have done more for him and receive lesse We have no cause to complaine or murmure against God because hee is abundantly gracious to whom he pleaseth but should rather admire his free grace And seeing faith with every act and degree of it is a gift of unmerited grace let us who doe believe waite for the encrease of faith as a gift ceasing from our own workes understanding and abilities Yet here lest I should be mistaken let me adde this caution That we should not neglect gospel-Gospel-duties by hearing of Gospel-promises Promises should not prove occasions of sloth to to the faithfull but should be arguments and incentives to spirituall activity 2 Cor. 7.1 Having these promises let us clense our selves from all filthiuesse c. Seventhly Let us prize faith as a gift wee prize gifts because there is usually some preciousnesse and goodnesse in them or else for the givers sake Faith is precious in it selfe 1 Pet. 1.1 Gods gifts have something of his owne goodnesse in them and faith is to be prized because it is from him It is said of Elkanah that he gave portions to Peninnah and her sonnes and daughteas but unto Hannah he gave a worthy portion for he loved her 1 Sam. 1.4 5. So God doth give portions to the men of the world but his worthy portion of love to his Saints through faith and therefore prize it Imitate those blessed soules who have shewed unto us by their good examples how they prized faith who were contented to part rather with their honours pleasures riches preserments yea their owne lives then the faith of the glorious Gospel of Christ They loved not their lives unto the death Rev. 8ly Faith is a great gift which if thou hast it thou knowest that thou hast freely received it Fides magnum aliquid est quam si habes profecto accepisti Aug. And therefore look up unto God for wretched unbelieving creatures think that they may rec●ve faith as a gift which they will never be able to deserve as a reward This may strengthen faith much when we are before the Throne of grace begging faith for poore sinners if wee consider that faith is a free gift Jeremiah made use of such an argument to strengthen his faith Jer. 14.7 Though our iniquities doe testifie against us doe for thy Names sake O the happinesse of those who are acquainted with free grace they may expect all things for themselves and others as free gifts to be given unto them though they can expect nothing as deserved wages Lastly Give glory to God for his unspcakable grace in giving faith unto thee My faith O Lord saith one hath called upon thee which thou hast given unto mee and which thou hast inspired into me Invoeavit te demine fides mea quam dedisti mihi quam inspirasti mihi Aug. Cons So blesse God with that faith and for that faith which God hath freely given thee The Sonne of God hath given us an understanding to know God 1 Joh. 5.20 And this knowledg is the gift of faith Quid aliud est fides quam vera de Deo cognitio Cyp. And therefore blesse God in the Sonne for this faith Thou mightest have laine in the darke dungeon of an unbelieving heart to this day and thou art brought into the wonderful light of the liberty of the Gospell through faith The Soune hath made thee free and thou art free indeed by believing Be free in rendring largely the tribute of praise to him who through faith hath knocked off the shackles setters of bondage from thy soule Give thy selfe to him who hath given himselfe and his Sonne to thee through faith And begin to live the heavenly life of glory in giving glory and praise to him who hath given thee the glory of union with himselfe in his Sonne through faith Joh. 17. Give praise to the King of Zion who hath redeemed thee to God by his own blood and made thee a King and Priest and hath assured thee that thou shalt reigne upon the earth Say of faith and all the gifts of his Spirit as Iacob of his children these are children which God hath graciously given unto his servant Ascribe nothing to thy selfe but all to him from whom are all things Crye with a loud voyce Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the Throne and to the Lambe and sing in faith with all Saints who love Christ in sincerity Revel 6.12 Blessing and Glory and Wisedome and Thankes giving and Honour and Power and Might be unto our God for ever and ever Amen SERMON VI. The Heaven-borne man sinneth not 1 JOHN 3.9 Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin for his seed remaineth in him and he cannot sin because he is born of God GOd in his grace hath shined into my spirit by reading of these words which hath inclined my spirit to speake from these words The truths of Christ are likely to prove powerfull upon the hearts of the hearers when they are seconded with the experience of the speaker I am therefore emboldned to acquaint you with the truth which is wrapt up in these

otherwise work is no more work Rom. 11.6 Therefore God will not justifie us in doing the workes of the Law in giving us a sight of any thing that may make us more worthy of justification then other men but he makes knowne his grace to us in a way of beleeving The property of faith is to emptie the creature and to discover the fulnesse of the Creator Our owne workes they puff us up but faith empties us It wee could be justified and saved by that which we have done we might boast and rejoyce in it before God Rom. 4.2 But because God will humble us bring us low lay us upon our backs and tumble us in the dust that we may see our selves nothing and see his grace all in all to us for our justification therefore God justifies us onely in beleeving Faith layes the creature low and sets the grace of God on high that wee may goe to heaven admiring the grace of God to such sinners such base and vile wretches as wee are therefore God will not justifie and save us in the court of our owne Consciences by the sight of our owne workes but onely by the sight of his owne grace thus it is said of Abraham that he staggered not at the promise of God by unbeliefe but being strong in faith he gave glory to God Rom. 4.20 When God comes downe upon us and works faith in our hearts and wee stagger not at the promises of Grace by unbeliefe but give credit to what he hath spoken and promised God hath that glory from us that he will have from all those whom he intends to save Unbeleife robs man of his comfort God of his glory By faith the creature is comforted and the Creator exalted through faith man is emptied of selfe-confidences and filled with God and his praises therefore for this reason are wee saved through faith Againe Fourthly it is by faith because it is onely by beleeving that wee behold the grace that is in God by which he forgives sin Mans happinesse for the present doth not lye in the not having of sin but in the grace of God not imputing sin Nostra justicia est dei indulgentia Gods favour and indulgence is our righteousnesse Thus the Psalmist doth describe the Blessed man Psal 32 Blessed is the man whose iniquities are paraoned and whose sinnes are covered Hierome doth sweetly paraphrase't upon those words Quod tegitur non videtur quod non videtur non imputatur quod non imputatur non punietur that which is covered is not seen that which is not seen is not imputed that which is not imputed shall not be punished But by what is it that man beholdeth himselfe in this happinesse It is onely by beleeving and therefore wee are saved through faith Wee cannot see a nonimputation of sin by the grace of God but by the work of the spirit in an act of beleeving by which wee are assured that it shall goe well with our soules to all eternity And the great controversie is decided and determined in the spirit of a man whether he shall be saved or whether he shall be damned No other foundation can be laid then the grace of God in Jesus Christ our Lord 1 Cor. 3.11 And we cannot see this foundation that wee may be built upon it but by beleiving Moses by faith saw him that was invisible Abraham by faith saw the day of Christ and was glad As by the eye of the body wee see materiall objects so by the eye of faith wee see spirituall objects The Philosopher saith that prudence is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the eye of the Morall man so faith is the eye of the spirituall man By which alone God and the things of God are beheld 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Justin Martyr The Sun was not changed when the blinde man in the Gospel that never saw before received his sight and beheld it It was the same before and after his blindnesse so Jesus Christ the Sun of righteousnesse is the same yesterday and to day and for ever in himself and unchangeable in his love in reference unto us The change is onely in us by faith whom now we see though formerly wee beheld not his beauty and because the righteousnesse and salvation of God is revealed by faith Rom. 1.17 therefore wee are saved by faith Fiftly wee are saved by grace through a worke of beleeving because if it were not onely in an act of beleeving the people of God could not have that firme constant and unquestionable assurance of their salvation which now they enjoy in a way of beleeving When a man is to goe unto a place by many severall wayes which are not found out without some difficulty he doth often doubt whether he is in the right way or whether hee is out of his way but when he is to goe in one plaine way he is confident that he is not out of his way So when a man goeth by the way of the Law and workes for justification he is in doubt whether he is in his right way for justification the Law pointing out many wayes and requiring many duties of him that would be justified under it but the Gospel pointeth onely at Christ and faith in him for jusification so that those who walke in this way for justification are confident that they are in the right way The Apostle doth lay downe this plainly Rom. 4.16 where he saith it is by grace and that by faith to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed not to that onely which is of the Law but to that that is of the faith of Abraham the Father of us all God hath not made the promise of salvation to the seed under the Law or that doe any workes of the Law But he hath made the promise to be gracious to poore sinners in beleeving without the workes of the Law to the end the promise might be sure If there had been any thing else required beside faith the soule would be alwayes restlesse and unsatisfied If God should tie justification to workes men would be unsatisfied because they would doubt whether some workes were not undone and then they would doubt of their justification Therefore God hath not promised justification to any man who doth good workes or submitts to any outward Ordinance but onely unto him who closeth with his grace in a pure act of beleeving For God knowes that so long as there is any thing joyned with faith for justification wee shall be ready to question our justification wee may observe that such professors who are not acquainted with the Gospel are unsetled in their spirits when they doubt which is the true Government or externall Ordinances of the Lord Jesus If they doubt whether they are baptized in a right way or manner they doubt whether they are justified their comforts and assurance doe vanish away when they are not fully assured that they know and are obedient unto

Lord. God will fill his spirituall house or Temple with glory And I will give peace saith the Lord of hosts Hag. 2.9 God will be the glory in the middest of the spirituall Jerusalem Zech. 2.9 And hee will remove the iniquity of the land in one day v. 3.9 All these promises are plaine demonstrations of Gods powerfull grace and mans weakness Secondly we have not only the bare promise but the Covenant of God and this Covenant confirmed and bound by an oath Mic. 7.20 Thou wilt performe the truth to Jacob and the mercy to Abraham which thou hast sworn unto our Fathers therefore it is not by any power or worke in our selves If it be the fruit of the covenant of grace and God hath covenanted in his grace to doe it for us then certainly wee are not able to doe it our selves But God hath covenanted to doe it for us he hath covenanted to write his law in our hearts The law of faith as the Apostle calls it Rom. 5. Therefore we are not able to work faith in our own spirits Why should God tye himselfe in a Covenant and binde this Covenant with an oath to doe this for us if we were able to doe it our selves why should God doe any thing for his owne names sake if the creature can do enough to make it selfe happy by his owne strength In vaine is a Covenant of grace promulgated for mans salvation and for discovery of this salvation If man can finde out the way of salvation by his owne wisdome why must Christ guide our seete into the wayes of peace Luke 1. if of our selves we can find out these ways of life peace God hath made it his work therfore it is not our work wrought by our owne strength God hath promised faith as a gift freely to be bestowed upon undeserving man therfore man by the improvement of his parts and labour cannot purchase it as the reward of his endeavours Thirdly God worketh faith in time according to his eternall purpose and decree before time But the eternall purpose of God is the purpose of his grace therefore God worketh faith according to his purpose of grace The first of these propositions hath beene already proved the second is evident from 2 Tim. 1.9 So that it is evident that faith floweth from eternall grace and therefore it is not of ourselves but it is the gift of God Fourthly There is nothing can merit or deserve faith in man before faith is wrought and therefore it is given as a free gift This is plaine by Rom. 9.16 It is not of him that willeth nor of him that runneth but of God that sheweth mercy John 1.13 There may be as much in one that shall be damned as in him that shall be saved before his conversion Peter did no more to merit or deserve his first faith then Iudas did Gods grace is his rule by which he worketh in giving faith unto any man and therefore faith is the gift of God Fifthly Gods designe in justifying a sinner through faith as hath beene formerly proved is the magnifying of his owne free love unto the creature in Christ and therfore hee doth acquaint us that faith is the free gift of his grace that so hee may devest the creature of glorying in himself or in any thing from himselfe If the Father should justifie us by grace through faith and wee should apprehend that our faith were of our selves there would bee some glorying in our selves And therefore he doth justifie by grace through faith as a fruit effect and free gift of his owne grace So proud we are naturally that though wee were convinced that we were saved by grace as a gift given unto us as almes unto a beggar yet we should be proud if wee knew that of our selves we had an hand to receive it and therefore God doth not only in his grace give us the gift of eternall life but the hand by which we receive it Thus wee are saved by grace through faith which is the gift of God Sixthly The Apostle saith that no man can say that Jesus is the Christ but by the holy Spirit 1 Cor. 12.3 But by faith we confesse that Jesus is the Christ and therefore it doth plainly follow that it is from the holy Spirit of grace The Spirit doth shew that all things are freely given us of God 2 Cor. 3.12 And therefore faith is freely given us of God If every thing then faith Every good and perfect gift commeth downe from the Father of lights if we will believe James Jam. 1.17 And therefore we must grant that faith is given unto us of God or else deny it to be a good and perfect gift Obj But some may say if faith be a gift why doth our Saviour bid us to buy gold tryed in the fire that we may be cloathed that the shame of our nakednesse may not appeare Rev. 3.18 Answ This word buying is taken properly and so it signifieth the purchasing of something by some considerable price which is given for it There can be no buying of a thing without some price Nulla exemptio sine pretio esse potest Justinian in stit lib. 3 Tit. 24. And in this sence wee cannot buy faith or Christ having no considerable price to pay for Christ before we enjoy Christ 2 ly Buying is taken improperly Isa 55.1 Buy wine and milke without money and without price And if faith be to be bought it must be thus bought by us we have no money or price to part with for faith And what is thus bought by us is freely given unto us So that this objection is too weake to weaken the truth which hath beene delivered It standeth still unshaken and unmoveable upon its owne Basis Faith is the gift of God Having proved it sufficiently by these considerations that faith is a gift I shall draw some usefull conclusions from them and put a period to my discourse First This overthroweth the meritoriousnesse of the righteousnesse of our owne works qualifications or preparations before faith for the deserving any thing at the hand of God to ingage him to give us faith What we receive as a free gift cannot be given us in consideration of our merits or deservings I shall but touch this because I have formerly taken paines to beate downe the Antichristian monster of Free-will and merit of workes which like two twinnes of the same wombe doe live and dye in the same moment It is the Lord Jesus must seeke us before ever we can finde him And we cannot as we ought desire faith untill faith be freely bestowed upon us Gods free grace doth prevent mans free will And if God leave us to our selves and to our owne labours endeavours actings duties and performances and doe not come in by the power of his grace upon us we shall never be able truly and spiritually to understand any thing of free grace Away then with the foolish conceite of