Selected quad for the lemma: faith_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
faith_n	believe_v	divine_a	revelation_n	7,143	5	9.8233	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A65648	A sermon preach'd at the anniversary meeting of the sons of clergy-men, in the church of St. Mary Le Bow, on Tuesday, Decem. 3, 1695 printed at the desire of the stewards of the feast, to whom it is humbly presented / by Tho. Whincop ...	Whincop, Thomas, d. 1730.	1696 (1696)	Wing W1665; ESTC R34743	10,856	31

A SERMON Preach'd at the ANNIVERSARY MEETING OF THE SONS of Clergy-Men A SERMON Preach'd at the Anniversary Meeting OF THE SONS of CLERGY-MEN IN THE Church of St. Mary Le Bow On Tuesday Decem. 3. 1695. Printed at the Desire of the STEWARDS of the FEAST To whom it is humbly Presented By THO. WHINCOP D.D. Rector of the United Parishes of St. Mary Ab-Church and St. Lawrence Pountney London LONDON Printed by Tho. Hodgkin for Walter Kettilby at the Bishop's Head in St. Paul's Church-Yard 1696. St. Paul 's Epist to Titus iii. 8. This is a faithful saying and these things I will that thou affirm constantly that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works these things are good and profitable unto men IT hath been a mistaken Opinion of some and an invidious Objection of others that those who are true Believers need not be solicitous about good Works and whatever they did they could not fall but had a Liberty of doing what they would without Danger or Sin And this hath been improved by the Enemies of our Reformed Church as if we had laid aside all thoughts of Duty towards God or Christian Regard and Compassion of our Neighbour not supposing as they represent us that we make them Articles of our Christian Faith or necessary Terms of our Salvation Since therefore we have hitherto God be thanked out-lived these unjust Reproaches the Church whereof we profess our selves Members strictly requiring not only Duty towards God but a compassionate Sense and helping of our Christian Brother's Indigence and that we are now once more met together Brethren of the same Stock and Linage descended from those who contended earnestly for the Faith and were as zealous for good Works Witness those many charitable Bequests since the Reformation and the Purpose of our Annual Assembly this Day is an Evidence that we do not either discountenance or explode doing Good The Enemy as in the Parable thus scatters his Tares to choak at least if not destroy the Wheat but maugre all the industrious Designs against our Holy Faith we do not forget the Doctrines of our Church or our Fore-fathers Precepts but as we believe in God are careful also to maintain good Works Which Direction of the Apostle's immediately follows other good Advice given unto Titus how he should behave himself in the Church of God of which he was made a Bishop as if he should have said Those things which I have spoken concerning the Love of God our Blessed Saviour to wards Man of his being saved by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the holy Ghost of our being justified by his Grace and made heirs according to the hope of eternal life as in the former Verses are not fabulous doubtful or uncertain things no Philosophical Conjectures of Jewish Traditions but faithful sayings and worthy of all acceptation 1 Tim. 1.15 as elsewhere he so phraseth it and therefore ought to affirm constantly This he directs him to assert and publickly teach all Persons as undoubtedly true by which precious Promises they might be excited to good Works 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that they should be intent and solicitous about remarkable and eminent for them as Captains and Leaders to every Body else both for Doctrine and Example Piety towards God and Charity towards their Neighbour as I take the Word in the largest Sense And that they should be above others so remarkable the Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as it is frequently used may properly enough intimate The Summ of this Apostolic Precept is that those who have learned and profess Christ's Doctrine should practise that Obedience it requires and be eminent for all good Actions especially those of Mercy and Charity In pursuance therefore of which Design of the Apostle's and to establish the Truth of which Proposition I do design to shew I. That it is not enough to believe what God hath said to be true and to give our Assents to the Certainty of Divine Revelation unless our Belief doth influence our Hearts and Lives II. That this Practice of good Works in absolutely necessary for all unto Salvation III. And lastly more especially necessary for those that are more particularly acquainted with God's Will and early instructed therein I. First I say It is not enough to believe what God hath said to be true or to give our Assent to the Certainty of Divine Revelation unless our Belief doth influence our Hearts and Lives We cannot suppose Believing to be a bare Notion and a meer Speculation a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Eusebius calls it but an obedient Faith believing the Truth performing the Commands omitting the Prohibitions fearing the Threatnings and embracing all the Promises of God's Word a Faith working by Love a new Creature a keeping the Commandments all which are almost equivalent For God's method of transacting our Redemption by Christ was not only by him receiving a full Satisfaction for our Offences but by him also proposing a more rational way to please him by requiring us to perform as Instances of our Faith all manner of Holiness and Purity as Conditions and Terms on our part of our being accepted thro' Faith in Christ Christ's Laws as well as any other run in this disjunction either Do or Suffer either live Holily or perish Everlastingly nothing is therein promis'd but upon Condition of our Obedience This is the Rule and Spring upon which they all move as Moses spake to Israel Deut. 5.1 that we take heed and hearken and do the commandments and statutes which God commanded us St. James tells us that he who is a doer of the work shall be blessed in his deed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in his working and Practice not in his Knowledge or Believing only for that is but a shadow of Godliness only which hath no Power with those in the Gospel which cry Lord Lord but our Blessed Saviour tells them Mat. 7.21 they shall not enter into the kingdom only they that do the will of his Father which is in heaven Wherein is intimated Knowledge enough having Prophesied in his Name but no Salvation on that Account Every Article of our Creed may be made use of as a proper Argument against Sin in general and a powerful Motive to Obedience in particular the great Design of our Saviour's gospel and our believing in him being to reform the Lives of Men and in order thereunto by Faith in Christ who made himself a sacrifice was a sufficient Atonement and left us an unparalell'd Example of well doing we have an admirable Pattern to do what he did as a reason of our Faith and Hope that we have by him That Gospel which we believe and brings us the glad Tidings of Salvation teaches us not only to believe what he delivers but to deny all ungodliness and worldly lusts Tit. 2.12 and live righteously soberly and godly in this present world for such as have given up

their Names to Christ must not think that upon that account they have liberty more than other Men to do what they will or that they may sin the more freely because Grace abounds there is a Yoak to which they must submit and Laws to the fulfilling of which they stand oblig'd If ye love me John 14.15 says our Blessed Lord keep my commandments God hath sufficiently declared his Will that Faith in him intitles no one to a Neglect of Religious Duties or that any one's casting himself upon his Mercy or relying upon Christ's Merits for Salvation will be available unless as an Evidence of that Faith and Sincerity of that Relyance we examplifie and adorn that Faith by a conscientious and unblameable Conversation Whatever our Faith intitles us to hope for 't is upon this Condition that if we have right to the precious Promises we must cleanse our selves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit and perfect holiness in the fear of God 2 Pet. 1.3 4. and St. Peter calls the Gospel the knowledge of him who hath called us to glory whereby saith he are given the great and precious promises that by these ye might he partakers of the divine nature having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust and it is easie to observe that the main thing our Saviour aimed at all his whole Life was to restore Humane Nature to its primitive Purity and Perfection and to advance true Piety and Holiness in the World to bring Men to a good Opinion of and a ready Compliance with God's Laws so that it influences all their Actions Faith not being enough to denominate a Man a true Christian unless he goes on to add to his faith vertue to his vertue knowledge c. Religion not being such an empty Name as to consist in fair Shadows only in thinkink well or talking gravely in all the outward Performances imaginable unless our Actions are agreeable to the same unless we practise what we profess and are Doers of what we read and hear I would not be mistaken as if I thought Faith signified nothing so that a Man be an honest good moral Man it would be enough and he should be happy in the End tho' he did not believe aright and as he ought and had little or no regard to the Revelation of God's Will in the Old and New Testament the Subject of our Faith as some have improved the seeming difference between St. Paul and St. James which I will not now meddle withal Only assert that it is most certain that Faith in Christ is the main Condition of all our Hopes from the Gospel-Covenant the the Scripture being express Joh. 6.40.13.15 Act. 10.43 Joh. 12.46 1 Pet. 2.6 as whoso believeth on him shall have everlasting life he shall not perish he shall have remission of sins he shall not abide in darkness and that Christ is the end of the law to every one that doth believe so that Faith is the principal ground on which our Hopes of Salvation are founded But withal I further add that this Faith to make it truly saving must be always accompanied with doing the Will of God with a sincere Obedience to God's Commands and a Conscientious Discharge of our respective Duties for as he deceives himself that hopes to enter into Life who doth not believe as he should and ought so are they in no less Danger who believe aright but live not according to it Would any one not deceive himself he must join both together shewing his Faith by his Works and then with reason may he hope to be happy II. The Second thing I observed from these Words was that the Practice of good Works taken either for Piety towards God or Charity towards Man is absolutely necessary for all unto Salvation When I lay down this Position I would not be thought as if we believ'd our Works meritorious or that they wou'd commute for our Sins yet I say the Obligations to them is indispensible and as requisite as any other part of our christian Duty 'T is acknowledg'd and granted to be true that we cannot by the best we can do deserve Happiness and the promised Reward for them yet they are necessary to be perform'd by all the Branches of Necessity imaginable whether of Precept and Duty or as the Way and Means that without the Practice of which none can be admitted into the Kingdom of Heaven and thro' the Omission of which many forfeit that Interest they truly otherwise might have had in the Promises of Everlasting Life In the Promise it self all that are Partakers of the Word and Sacraments all that acknowledge the Word Revealed to be the way unto Everlasting Life have a true Interest but of the Pledge of that Blessing promised none are Partakers but such as are fruitful in good Works according to the Means or Abilities which God hath bestow'd upon them Dr. Jackson Vol. 3. pag. 587. as Dr. Jackson's Remark and Works are They are both the Condition and Means with respect to God and our selves which are required in our Christian Course Heb. 12.14 and without which no man shall see the Lord. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit Mat. 7.19 says our Saviour shall be cut down and cast into the fire and the Apostle tells us that it is the will of God even our sanctification 1 Thess 4.3 Eschew evil and do good cease to do evil learn to do well teach the Prophets God requiring the Beginning of our Obedience in this Life tho' he reserves the Perfection of it to a Life to come Nor are they the Condition injoined only but as the Way and Means whereby we must obtain those promised Rewards we are in hopes of Tribulation and anguish Rom. 2.9 10. indignation and wrath the Apostle denounceth against every one that doth evil whether Jew or Gentile but glory honour and peace to every one that doth good Hence are those Comparisons in Scripture of Mens good Works and the Rewards in another World one to a Crown or Prize the other to a Race or Course one to sowing of Seed the other to Harvest or gathering of the Fruit those who run in a Race must first strive before they obtain the promised Prize as every one in his Christian Race must contend earnestly and continue fighting before he must expect that Crown of Glory which the Lord the Righteous Judge hath promised to all them who continue in well doing As the Husbandman commits his Seed to the Ground and patiently waits the appointed Time allotted by God and Nature and then expects the Fruit so he that is fruitful in good Works his Labour is not in vain but he may reasonably expect the fulfilling of God's Word that from thence shall spring up unto him a glorious Crop and a great Reward of Bliss and Glory So that the Performance of these are Conditions and Terms upon which we are to build