Selected quad for the lemma: faith_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
faith_n	abraham_n	believe_v	impute_v	7,639	5	9.9008	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A47130	A Christian catechisme, for the instruction of youth, and others to whom it may be useful in the grounds of Christian religion, and practice of Christian piety wherein the twelve articles of the Christian creed, and the Godhead and manhood natures of Christ and his prophetical, priestly, and kingly office are briefly explained : and the true Christian doctrin, concerning Christ his being a sufficient saviour, as he is both God and man : and with respect to both the absolute necessity, and excellent consistencie of his outward coming in the flesh, and his inward coming, and spiritual appearance in our hearts, through faith in him, and love and obedience to him, in order to our eternal salvation, declared and demonstrated by testimonies of Holy Scripture : and the divine excellency of the light within, in distinction from humane reason, asserted and vindicated : and the question concerning its sufficiency to salvation, truly stated and resolved : where also many other Gospel doctrins, and practical Christian truths and duties are held forth / by George Keith.	Keith, George, 1639?-1716.	1698 (1698)	Wing K150; ESTC R19823	60,929	128

inward Principle and Seed of God in Mens Hearts as some have most perversly construed a great part of which Blessing was forgiveness of Sins and Justification through the Righteousness of Christ without us freely imputed to us for that Abraham believed in Christ as he was to come and suffer death in the Flesh and rise again is clear Abraham saw my day and rejoyced said Christ yea he received Isaac after he had laid him on the Altar in a Figure that signified his Faith that Christ should not only suffer Death but be rais●d from the Dead And for Justification by Faith in Christ given to the holy Ancients Paul Cites that place of the Old Testament in Habukkuk 2. 4. The just shall live by his faith And Peter qu●●es a place in Isaiah 2. 8 16. 1 Pet. 2. 6. Behold I lay in Zion a chief Corner Stone Elect Precious and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded And that Cloud of Witnesses mentioned Heb. 11. Who are all said to have dyed in Faith their Faith did certainly respect Christ Jesus as he was to suffer death and rise again because he was and is the sure Foundation to whom all the Prophets gave witness that whosoever believeth in him should receive remission of Sins Q. How then is James to be understood who saith Abraham was justified by Works and Rachab A. Not in the sight of God but as an evidence both to themselves and others that they were justified Q. Are they not very fallacious who Teach Justification by the Righteousness of Christ imputed to the Faithful and mean thereby the inward Work of Righteousness or Sanctification wrought in them A. Yea. Q. And is it not Popish and contrary to Scripture to Teach that the Works which Christ works in us or which we work by the help of his Spirit are meritorious of Justification seeing Abraham whose Works were such was not justified by his Works A. Yea. Q. And is not the ground of their so Teaching false and proceeding from great Ignorance whereas they ●y the Works that Christ or the Spirit works in us are not ours but Christ's for though Christ by his Spirit is the efficient Cause of them yet he is not the only efficient for we also work with him and we are the only formal Cause of them it is not Christ in us that Repents Believes Obeys but we by his help and assistance and therefore tho' Christ is a perfect Agent yet while we are not perfect the Work is not perfect for the nature of the Effect followeth the imperfect Cause especially the formal Cause An Effect altogether good must have all its Causes perfectly good otherwise if there be a defect but in one of them the Effect is imperfect A. Yea. SECT IX Q. WHat use hath that inward Law of Righteousness or Illumination in all Men given them by Christ if no Man can be eternally Saved by it without Faith in Christ Crucified A. It is of great use as it is a preparatory Ministration of the Spirit in a lower degree and kind of Operation for convincing of Sin and giving the knowledge of Sin and working in the Soul a sense of God's Wrath and Judgment for Sin that is of that service to Men as when Men are Condemned to dye for their Crimes and afterwards hear of the King 's gracious and free Pardon their former Condemnation makes the Pardon the more precious and acceptable to them That was it that Paul calls the Ministration of Death and Condemnation 2 Cor. 3. 7 9. that was glorious in its Season that is antecedent and preparatory to the Ministration of Justification that followeth and is much more glorious For as God led Israel of old by Sin●●i where the Law was given with terror to Sion and Jerusalem that signifieth the Vision of Peace and where the Temple was built without the noise of a Hammer 1 Kings 6. 7. So God now leads his Israel through the inward Ministration of the Law to the inward Ministration of the Gospel and New Covenant of Grace of Life and Peace Q. What other use hath it especially to the Faithful who are come under the New Covenant A. So far as the dictates and teaching Light and Knowledge of it extends it serves for a Rule of Life together with the Scriptures in things of moral Honesty Justice and Temperance for if our Reason as Men be still of great use to us in things of Reason certainly that Law or Light in us and in all Men that is greater and more excellent than Humane Reason is of great use and service to the most Faithful And Obedience to it as a Rule of moral Life is so necessary that no Man can be saved without sincere Obedience to it Q. But doth not the more special Light and Illumination of Faith given to the Faithful under the New Covenant make the other void and useless and as it were extinguish it as the Light of the Day seems to extinguish the Light of the Night A. Nay For as Christ said he came not to destroy the Law and the Prophets but to fulfil them so he is not come either Outwardly or Inwardly to destroy either our Reason as Men or any former Light or Illumination that he had given nor doth the Light of the Day extinguish the Light of the Night strictly speaking though it may seem so to do but doth rather strengthen it and better it And why should the more excellent Light of Faith extinguish this other Light of Moral Justice more than it doth extinguish our Reason as Men which by experience is not so found but the contrary that the more we are enlightned by or with the Light of Faith our Reason is the more refined pure and clear strong and vigorous Q. What ground of Scripture is there for Two Lights or more than one Is there not rather one only Light which is God and the Word Christ which is one with him that inwardly shineth in the hearts of all Men A. The Light originally is but one and that is God and Christ the Eternal Word the Fountain of all Light Wisdom Grace and Goodness yet this one Fountain sendeth forth its various Streams according to his good Pleasure and though there is but one God yet there is diversity of Operations and but one Christ yet diversity of Ministrations and but one Spirit yet diversity of Gifts as the Scripture plainly declareth hence we find in Scripture that God is called the Father of Lights and the God of all Grace also we read both of the manifold Wisdom of God and his manifold Grace and of the seven Spirits of God answering to the seven Lamps or Lights in the Sanctuary which Solomon according to the Wisdom given him of God increased the number of unto Ten. Q. But can God or Christ as he is the Word be said to be a Light in Men either universally in all Men or specially in faithful Men A. Yea both universally

Christ the Mediator of it the promise of the Spirit and the saving Graces and Gifts thereof for our Sanctification Regeneration and Renovation and for our mortifying and crucifying the Old Man and the body of the Sins of the Flesh the taking away the heart of Stone and giving us a heart of Flesh God's writing his Laws in those hearts of Flesh and giving us his special teachings and special Illuminations Operations and influences of his Holy Spirit working in us Faith Hope and Love and filial Fear and all other Virtues and Fruits of the Spirit and true Gospel Repentance all suited to the Gospel and new Covenant Dispensation and all this freely by and through and for Jesus Christ's sake together with the promise of Eternal Life and Salvation Jer. 31. 33. 34. Jer. 32. 39. 40. Ezek. 11. 19. 20. 36. 25. 26. 37. 26. 27. Gal. 4. 24. 26. 28. Heb. 12. 24. Isa 44. 3. 4. 59. 21. Q. But doth not the Covenant of Grace require any terms or conditions on our part as Faith and Repentance and new Obedience A. It requireth nothing of the true Subjects of it as terms and conditions but such as God promiseth freely to give the Faith and Repentance and Obedience that it requireth God has promised freely to give by virtue of his Covenant and no condition or terms that Men can perform are any the least moving cause to move God to enable us to perform those conditions Q. But is there not an Order in the way and manner of God's giving his many several Favours Gifts and Blessings to the Children of the New Covenant as remission of Sin Justification Adoption and Eternal Salvation A. Yea There is an excellent Order of some things to go before and other things to follow some of which go before and others follow only in order of Nature and others in order of time as plowing and sowing the Ground goes before Harvest and Reaping yet neither the plowing or sowing are the moving cause to move God to give the Fruit and Increase Q Doth then Faith and Repentance in order of Nature go before remission of Sin and Justification though they are together in time A. Yea. Q. How doth this appear from Scripture A. By many plain testimonies of Scripture as first concerning the necessity of Conversion and Faith in order both to forgiveness of Sin Justification and Salvation This was Paul's Commission given him by Christ unto both Jews and Gentiles Acts 26. 18. To open their eyes and to turn them from darkness to light and from the Power of Satan unto God that they may receive forgiveness of sins and inheritance among them which are sanctified through faith that is in Christ Jesus and Rom. 10. 6. The righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise say not in thy heart c v. 7. but what saith it the word is nigh thee even in thy mouth and in thy heart that is the word of faith which we preach that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead thou shalt be saved for with the heart man believeth unto righteousness c. Again Rom. 8. 29 30. In that excellent golden Chain containing several Links that follow one after another There is Predestination going before Calling and Calling before Justifying and Justifying before Glorifying The Calling that is not an outward Calling only but chiefly an inward Calling and inward Work of God's Holy Spirit enlightning the understanding and moving the Heart and Will to answer the Call is not the proper Cause of either Justification or Glorification but a necessary antecedent of it in order of Nature as the holding out of the Hand is antecedent in order of Nature to receive a free gift from him who freely gives for Faith has no causality in order to receive forgiveness of Sin and Justification more than the Hand has to receive a rich and free Gift which Faith is also the free Gift of God Again Acts 10. 43. Said Peter in his Preacing to Cornelius and his Friends To him viz. Christ Jesus even him whom they Slew and Hanged on a Tree gave all the Prophets witness that through his Name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of Sins Secondly As to Repentance its being necessary in order to forgivness and blotting out of Sins Peter's words are plain Acts 3. 19. Repent ye therefore and be converted that your sins may be blotted out c. And Acts 5. 30 31. The God of our fathers raised up Jesus whom ye slew and hanged on a tree him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour for to give repentance unto Israel and forgivness of sins And Luke 24. 47. Christ after his Resurrection taught the Disciples the true Method and Order of Preaching That repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his Name among all Nations beginning at Jerusalem Thus we see how though Repentance and Remission of Sins are joyned together in those places yet in order Repentance is put antecedent to Remission of Sins Q. But is not Repentance a proper effect of remission of Sin as the Soul has a lively sense of it wrought by the Spirit of God in the Soul as it was said of Mary Magdalen she loved much because much was forgiven her who was a deep and great Penitent A. As some degree of Repentance is antecedent to forgiveness not as its Cause so there are other degrees of it that are consequents thereof and may be called the effects of it Q. Are the Infant Children of believing Parents within the Covenant of Grace together with their Parents so that the Promise is to them and their Children A. Yea Act. 2. 39. Gal 4. 28. Gen. 17. 7. 1 Cor. 7. 14. Q. What is the alone meritorious and material Cause of Mens Justification before God Is it not the Righteousness of Christ's most holy and perfect Obedience unto Death and the shedding of his most precious Blood done and performed by him without us freely of God imputed to us and received by Faith A. Yea. Q. What places of Scripture in the Old Testament hold forth the Justification of the Faithful and their eternal Salvation by Faith A. That in Genesis 15. 6. compared with Rom. 4. 2 3. Abraham believed in the Lord and it was counted to him for Righteousness from whence Paul inferred that Abraham was not justified by Works though he was a very holy Man but by Faith And though Abraham's Faith is not expresly said to have been in Christ as he was to come and suffer Death for our Sins in the Flesh yet it is certainly imply'd for the great Promise of God to Abraham was That in his seed all nations of the earth should be blessed and therefore Abraham also was blessed in that seed which seed was Christ as he came in the Flesh out of Abraham's Loins and not the Light within or

and hearing of the Word and Prayer and Thanksgiving A. Baptism with Water in the Name of the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost and the celebration of the Supper in the use of the external Elements of Bread and Wine with Prayer and Thanksgiving to remember and shew forth the Lord's Death till he come both which are not only proper means to preserve the Doctrin of the Christian Faith being duly practised but are means of Grace Seals of God's Govenant of Grace and Signs of our Union and Communion with Christ and one with another in him Matth. 28. 19. Matth. 26. 27. 28. 29. 1. Cor. 10. 16. 1 Cor. 11. 23. Q. To whom is Baptism to be administred A. To none but such as in the judgment of Charity may be reckoned Members of Christ and of his Church Q. Is it to be administred to any more than once A. Nay but once to the same Person Q. Why but once A. Because that signifieth our ingrafting into Christ and our entrance into the Church as into a new World or Kingdom which is but once Q. Is the Supper to be frequently administred to the Faithful A. Yea as frequently as with possible convenience it can be done Q. Why is it to be administred frequently A. Because we need to be but once Regenerated or born again whereof Baptism with Water is a Sign but being once Regenerated we need to be frequently nourished of which the Supper is a Sign that frequently ought to be used as appears both by the Command of Christ As often as ye eat c. and the example of the Faithful in the Acts of the Apostles Q. Doth not Baptism signifie remission of Sin and our Justification by Christ and his precious Blood shed for us as well as our Regeneration and the mortification and crucifying the Old Man with his Deeds A. Yea. Q. And doth not the Supper signifie remission of Sin and our Justification by Christ as well as our spiritual Nourishment by Christ's Body and Blood and holy Spirit with the saving Gifts and Graces thereof A. Yea. Q. Is the participation of the Body and Blood of Christ together with the holy Spirit and his saving Gifts and Graces so tyed and confin'd to the use of the external Elements that none can have the things signified without these outward Signs A. Nay Q. What need is there then to use them A. Because of Christ's Command and the great Spiritual profit that the Faithful have by the due use of them where they can be duly had even as in the Case of hearing the Word Preached by word of Mouth the ordinary means of Faith yet such hearing i● not of such absolute necessity so as none can have Faith without hearing a Minister Preach for many have had Faith wrought in them by the Word or Doctrin read by them or by others read to them who perhaps never heard the Word duly Preached by any Man Q. How are the words of Christ to be understood this Cup is the New Testament in my Blood shed for the remission of the Sins of many How is the Cup the New Testament A. By the Cup is meant the Wine in the Cup by an ordinary Figure in Speech call'd a Metonymie where the Name of the thing containing is given to the thing contained Q. How is the Wine in the Cup the New Testament in Christ's Blood A. By another Metonymie as Circumcision was called God's Covenant under the Law being the Seal of it so the Wine as well as the Bread in the Supper is called by Christ the New Testament as being the outward Seal of it Q. But what is the need or use of an external Seal of the New Testament or Covenant seeing the Faithful have the inward Seal of the Spirit A. The inward doth no more take away the use and benefit of the outward to the Faithful now than the inward Seal of the Spirit to Faithful Abraham did take away the use of the outward Seal of Circumcision from him which was given him of God to be a Seal of the Righteousness of Faith Q. What is meant by Christ's New Testament and whether it is one and the same with the New Covenant A. It is the same for Matter and Substance but that it further denotes Christ's Legacy left us in his Will and Testament and confirmed by those outward Seals appointed by himself that being the Nature of all Wills and Testaments to be in force by the Death of the Testator Q. How doth it appear that these outward things as Water in Baptism and the Bread and Wine in the Supper are Seals of the New Testament or Covenant of Grace A. Because the nature and manner of all Covenants require some external Signs or Seals for their stronger confirmation and as it is the usual manner of Nations to confirm their Covenants by or with outward Signs or Seals so it hath been always God's way in all his Covenanting with Men or with any People to confirm it by some outward Signs or Seals as the Sacrifices before the Law and Circumcision and the Passover and the Sacrifices under the Law Psalm 50 5. Q Is it not therefore a great Sin and highly provoking to God Almighty and doing contempt to our blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ not only to reject the Seals of his Covenant and Testament from practising them so that they can be duly had but to deny and vilifie them with the reproachful Names of beggarly Elements and worldly Rudiments yea if God be not very merciful to them to provoke him to deprive them of the spiritual Blessings of his Covenant for their so great contempt through their great Ignorance God grant that it may not be wilful in some And do they not act as foolishly in the Case as if one that had a rich Legacy left him by the Will of his elder Brother should in his folly tear away the Seal of it which in Law renders it null and void A. Yea. Q. How do the faithful the eat the Flesh and drink the Blood of Christ A. Not by the bodily Mouth but by a true Faith and sincere and servent Love and Devotion Q. But may not Persons feed upon the inward Life and Spirit of Christ without feeding by Faith on the Flesh and Blood of Christ A. Nay according to Christ's plain and express words Joh. 6. 53. Unless ye eat my Flesh and drink my Blood ye have no Life in you the Flesh and Blood of the Son of Man together with the Fat and Marrow of the inward Life and Spirit of Christ even whole Christ God man is the Food of the Faithful by him if an e●●er in the true door he shall go in and out and find Pastore without in his Flesh and Manhood within in his Spirit and Godhead as Augustin and other spiritual Writers have applyed those words John 10. 9. Q. Doth not this hold forth the necessity of Faith in Christ as he was outwardly crucified