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
A52574	New-Englands duty and interest to be an habitation of justice and mountain of holiness containing doctrine, caution, & comfort : with something relating to the restaurations, reformations, and benedictions promised to the church and world in the latter dayes : with grounds of hope, that America in general & New-England in particular may may have a part therein : preached to the General Assembly of the Province of the Massachusetts-Bay, at the anniversary election, May 25, 1698 / by Nicholas Noyes ...	Noyes, Nicholas, 1647-1717.	1698 (1698)	Wing N1461; ESTC R16814	53,865	112

so far as it was of moral Equity it ought to be observed in Christian States and Caeteris paribus and Consideratis Considerandis is of Excellent use to all Lawgivers and Judges to the end of the world for that People were under a Theocrasy and their judicial Laws were of divine legislation for the most part If any were otherwise they had at least divine approbation The moral law is all of it of everlasting equity and amiableness as we have shewed as Holy Righteous and Good in Paul's time as in Moses's time Rom. 7.12 And in our times as in Moses's or Pauls For till heaven and earth pass one jot or title of the law shall in no wise pass Math. 5.18 The Assemblies reflection on this text is How much more needful is this Doctrine when men would make all the law void and not obligatory to believers Its Historys are our Examples either of imitation or caution 1 Cor. 10. Now these things were our Examples that is saith the English Annotations God set the punishment of those Israelites as a glass or image before us that we in them might see what we may expect if we sin as they did In the following verses the Apostle dehorts from Idolatry ●ornication Tempting Christ and the sin of Murmuring from ●●amples of caution written of old But saith the Apostle they were written for our Admonition upon whom the ends of the world are come v. 11 So Heb. 3.19 compared with Heb. 4.1 So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief Let us therefore ●●ar c. So Esau's Example of selling his birth right for one morsel is urged by way of caution Heb. 12.16 We have also Examples of Imitation taken out of the Old Testament improv'd in the New So in Heb. 11. The Examples of Antediluvian Patriarchs and Postdiluvian Patriarchs and Kings Priests and Prophets Judges and Military Commanders all famous for Exploits of Faith Worship and Obedience are set before Christians for Imitation And the Apostle argues from them Heb. 12.1 That Cloud of Witnesses are to be followed by Christians as the Cloud was followed by the Israelites in the Wilderness So Peter urgeth the Example of holy Women of old and of Sarah in Particular for to teach Christian Women Subjection to their Husbands Conjugal Chastity and Modesty of Apparel So Abrahams faith and his justification by it is set forth for an Example to Christians for their imitation Rom. 4.4 Now it was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed to him but for us also to whom it shall be imputed if we believe The like may be said of Promises and Threatnings which are found Originally in the Old Testament but improved in the New Testament Of Promises some that seem National others Personal are by way of Analogy transferred to Christian People as if they had been made nextly and directly to them So Eph. 6.1 2. The Apostle Exhorting Christian Children to obey honour their Parents urgeth them to this duty 1. By the Intrinsical Goodness and Immutable and Eternal Equity is in what he Exhorts them to Children obey your Parents in the Lord for this is right 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Just 2. By the Authority of the fifth Commandment 3. By the Promise annexed for this is the first Commandment with promise i. e. the first of the Second Table for the second Command hath promise annexed to it Showing mercy to thousands viz. of Generations of them that love me and keep my Commandments i. e. Ordinances and Institutions means of Worship free from Superstition mens Inventions and Will worship When the Apostle saith the first Command with promise he refers to those words that thy days may be long in the Land which the Lord thy God giveth thee Which words in their next intention are directed to Jewish Children and mean a long and happy life in the Land of Canaan but the Apostle writing to the Children of the Church at Ephesus that had nothing to do with the Land of Canaan alters the words by Analogy and makes the promise run that it may be well with thee and that thou mayst live long upon the Earth So the promise made nextly to Joshua Josh 1.5 I will never leave thee nor forsake thee is by way of Analogical Accommodation transferred to Christians Heb. 13.5 So Davids confident conclusion Psal 118.6 The Lord is on my side I will not fear What can man do unto me is drawn into argumentation Heb. 13.6 And the words that Solomon sp●ke to his Son Prov. 3.11 is said to speak to the Christian Hebrews Heb. 12.5 Ye have forgotten the Exhortation or that consolatory Exhortation which speaketh unto you as Children My Son dispise not thou the Chastening of the Lord. Of Threatnings also applied by Analogy Heb. 4.7.9 11. I shall on this head only further show that Prophesies in the Old Testament are of use to Christians they help us in the belief of New-Testament Prophesies many of them being already accomplisht others also of them agree with Those in the Revelation and illustrate one another as the Text and the interpretation So also 2 Pet. 3.13 We according to his promise look for New Heavens and a New Earth wherein dwelleth Righteousness and many Prophesies in the Old Testament that flourish in expressions literally expressing temporal felicity yet were intended as Prophetick Types of Spiritual Blessings under the Messias And they had some kind of accomplishment in Temporal Deliverances Peace Plenty c. before the Coming of Christ but were more fully accomplisht in Spiritual Redemption and the Spiritual Priviledges Benefits and Graces Enjoy'd in the Churches of Christ If we consider what cognation there is between History and Prophesy it will not seem strange For Prophesie is History antedated and History is Postdated Prophesie the same thing is told in both If therefore the History of the Old Testament is Example to us and instructive to us so must needs be Prophesy And many things in the Old Testament are first set forth in Prophesy and afterward in History either of them yea both of them beneficial to the Church Besides Prophesies for the most part contain Promises or Threatnings in them And therefore if Old-Testament Promises and Threatnings are of use and may be by way of accommodation applied to us so may the Prophesies also I have insisted the larger on the foregoing head not only to show how genuine the Doctrines raised from the Text are and to strengthen the foundation on which I build the Superstructure of the Application I further intend but to vindicate the just Reputation of the Sacred Scriptures of the Old Testament from the indignity done them by those that speak of them as of things formerly useful but now antiquated and out of date as also for the benefit of those that esteem them by way of Direction how to use them that the Old and New-Testament may be used by us as two breasts of Sacred

although there be not a full discrimination between the good bad at present there shall be at the day of the revelation of righteous Judgment And although God's Justice doth not always appear to purblind man yet it doth so often appear that God is known by his Judgments that he executeth Psal 9.16 So that a man shall say verily there is a reward for the Righteous verily he is a God that Judgeth in the earth Thus you have the second Doctrine Explained and Confirmed I proceed to Explain Confirm the third and last Doctrine DOCT. III. That although Places that have been Habitations of Righteousness and Mountains of Holiness should become very degenerate and for their Sin be made very desolate yet there is ground o● hope that God will again Restore Reform and Bless them In the third Doctrine there are three particular● contained the two first more implicitely the third most expressly 1. That places that have been eminent for the p●ofession and practice of holiness righteousness may become very degenerate they may that is possibly not lawfully Judea and Jerusalem offer● a woful conviction of this That Kingdom of Priests that holy Nation in which Religion Justice some time dwelt and flourished was in Jeremiah's time degenerate revolted and gone all ranks orders of men had greatly corrupted themselves This hath been already demonstrated and the Churches that were of the Apostles planting if we compare the Scripture account of them with Ecclesiastical history concerning them and their affairs it would call for tears rather than further testimony Declension is down hill and natural Corruption weighs men down ward Facilis descensus Averni The heart of man is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked Man hath long since forfeited his reputation being in honour be abode not and ever since beareth the reproach of being a false deceitful creature Surely men of low degree are vanity and men of high degree are a lie to be laid in the balance they are altogether lighter than vanity Psa 62.9 If men deal falsely and basely and treacherously with God they do but like themselves Hos 6.7 They like men or like Adam as it may be rendred have transgressed my Covenant there have they dealt treacherously with me Besides Mortality in a little time carrieth off the Stage the Rulers Leaders Teachers and best examples of the flock Degrees of true Grace may be lost and the remainders be weakned and obscured that which only seemed to be true Grace may be utterly lost and that goodness that sprang from and depended upon external motive when the Sun and the wind rise will pass away like a morning Cloud the subtle insinuations of Seducers a Spirit of error the force of evil examples New temptations and occasions all or many of them some times do as it were conspire to bring on defection Apostasy and when it is so it is no wonder if woful degeneration ensue 2. Places that are become degenerate howsoever happy they were before may become very miserable very desolate It was so with Judea and Jerusalem The Lamentations of Jeremiah afford plentiful proof of this and the desolations and ruins of the Churches mentioned in the New Testament sufficiently prove it may be so If men do but like men when they make defection and revolt from Religion and Virtue God doth bu● like God when hi Jealousy burns like fire against such a People and he brings sorrows and miseries upon them even unto Desolation 3. Notwithstanding such degeneration and desolation too there is ground of hope that God will again restore reform and bless such a People I shall prove this position by producing the grounds of Hope the Scriptures offer in this case 1. God Can do it if he Will. That is not altogether incredible which is not impossible What can not Omnipotency do Unbelief and distrust is many times bottom'd upon scrupling the Power of God Psa 78.19 20. They said Can God furnish a Table in the Wilderness can he give bread also can he provide flesh for his people So that they are taxt with not believing in God nor trusting in his Salvation No wonder they did not believe God would when they did not believe God could provide for them If Abraham had Staggered at the promise through unbelief of Gods Power he had not been father of many Nations But against hope he believed in hope knowing that God quickned the dead and called things that are not as if they were He was strong in faith giving glory to God being fully perswaded that what he had promised he was able to perform Rom. 4 17 18 20 21. Such a degenerate and desolate People are much in circumstances for Restoration and Reformation as the bodies of Abraham and Sarah were in for Propagation But what cant he do that quickens the dead The belief of Gods power facilitates the belief of his good will So it was in the Lepers saith Lord if thou wilt thou canst make me clean That which seemeth impossible to men because of their impotency is not difficult to God because of his Omnipotency Though this case be very difficult next to impossible yet it is not desperate for with God all things are possible The Lord of hosts can restore reform and bless a degenerate desolate People 2. God not only can if he will but may if he please What may not he do in a way of mercy who is mercy it self and hath mercy upon whom he will have mercy Rom. 9.15 I will have compassion upon whom I will have compassion Infinite mercy can find motive in it self when there is none in the Creature and divine Soveraignty is not to be Counselled or Controlled by any Creature If he will have compassion he will have it If God be pleased to restore and reform such a people whom doth he wrong What Attribute or Word of his doth he cross or contradict If then Gods power render him able to do it may not his Soveraign Grace and Mercy re●der him willing to do it Once hath God spoken twice have I heard this that power belongeth unto God also unto thee O Lord belongeth Mercy Psa 62.11 12. 3. God hath done so already for his Church and professing People viz. The Jews and that more than once or twice And that which hath been may be and is the more easy to be believed This sort of Argumentation is used for a help to faith Isa 51.9 10 11. Awake awake O Arm of the Lord as in the Ancient days art not thou it that hath cut Rahab and wounded the dragon Art thou not it that hast dryed the Sea therefore the ransomed of the Lord shall return to Sion with singing So 2 Cor. 1.10 Who delivered us from so great a death and doth deliver in whom we trust he will yet deliver If God should restore reform and bless such a degenerate and desolate people it would not be the first time Though God may seem