Selected quad for the lemma: faith_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
faith_n	justification_n	justify_v	sanctification_n	6,333	5	10.3320	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A50522	The works of the pious and profoundly-learned Joseph Mede, B.D., sometime fellow of Christ's Colledge in Cambridge; Works. 1672	Mede, Joseph, 1586-1638.; Worthington, John, 1618-1671.	1672 (1672)	Wing M1588; ESTC R19073	1,655,380	1,052

thy self to Christ become a disciple and a member of his Kingdom S. Paul likewise taught the Gospel in like manner for himself tells us so Acts 20. 21. that he testified both to Iews and Gentiles Repentance toward God and Faith toward our Lord Iesus Christ. Repentance therefore and the Gospel cannot be separated If Repentance includes newness of life and good works the Gospel doth so For Christ is the way of Repentance without Repentance there is no use of Christ and without Christ Repentance is unavailable and nothing worth for without him we can neither be quit of the sins we forsake nor turn by a new life unto God with hope of being received He is the blessed Ferry-man and his Gospel is the Boat provided by the unspeakable mercy of God for the passage of this Sea As therefore in Repentance we forsake sin to serve God in newness of life so in the tenour of the Gospel Christ delivers us from sin that we might through Faith in him bring forth the fruits and works of a new life acceptable to our heavenly Father Hence it is that we shall be judged and receive our sentence at the last day according to our works Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world For I was hungry and ye gave me meat I was thirsty and ye gave me drink I was a stranger and ye took me in naked and ye clothed me I was sick and ye visited me I was in prison and ye came unto me Forasmuch as ye have done these things unto the least of my brethren ye have done them unto me Lord how do those look to be saved at that day who think good works not required to Salvation and accordingly do them not Can our Saviour pass this blessed sentence upon them No assuredly he will not But if the case be thus in the Gospel What is the reason will some men say that the Apostle tells us that we Christians are no longer under the Law nor justified by the works of the Law but under Grace and justified by Faith only I answer It is true that we are justified that is freed and acquitted from sin by Faith only But besides Iustification there is a Sanctification with the works of piety towards God and righteousness towards men as the Fruits yea as the End of our Iustification required to eternal life For therefore we are justified that we might do works acceptable to our heavenly Father through the imputation of the Righteousness of Christ which of our selves we could not and so obtain the reward he hath promised the doers of them As for the Law it is to be considered either as a Rule and so we are bound to conform and frame our actions to it for who dare deny but a Christian is bound to fear God and keep his Commandments or the Law may be considered as it is taken for the Covenant of works The Apostle when he disputes of this argument by the Law means the Covenant of works which he also calls The Law of works and by Faith and the Law of Faith he understands the Covenant of grace the condition whereof is Faith as will easily appear to him that shall diligently read the third and fourth chapters of the Epistle to the Galatians where he expresly changeth those terms of Law and Faith into the equivalent appellations of the Two Covenants Now as the Law is taken for the Covenant of works the Seal whereof was Circumcision 't is true we are not under it For the Covenant of works called by the Apostle the Law is that Covenant wherein Works are the condition on our part which if we perform in every point as the Law requires we are justified before God as keepers of his Covenant otherwise if we fail in the least thing we are condemned as guilty of the breach thereof Under this Covenant we are not for if we were and were to be judged according to it alas who could be saved For all saith the Apostle have sinned and come short of the glory of God There is none righteous no not one But the Covenant we are under is Believe and thou shalt be saved the Covenant of Grace the condition of which Covenant on our part is not the doing of works which may abide the Touch-stone of the Law but Faith in Iesus Christ which makes our works though of themselves insufficient and short of what the Law requires accepted of God and capable of reward This is that S. Iohn saith 1 Ep. 5. 3 4. That to love God is to keep his commandments and his commandments now under the Gospel are not grievous For whatsoever is born of God overcomes the world and this is the victory that overcometh the world even our Faith c. Whence our Saviour also saith that his yoke the yoke of the Gospel was easie and his burthen light The condition of the first Covenant was that which we could not do the condition of the second Covenant is that which enableth us to do and makes accepted what we can do and this is the Covenant of the Gospel a Covenant of savour and grace through Iesus Christ our Lord. And thus we have seen what the Apostle's meaning is when he saith we are not under the Law but under Grace Not as though a Christian were not bound to walk after God's commandments but that the exact fulfilling of them is not the condition whereby we are justified in the New Covenant but Faith in Iesus Christ in whom whosoever cometh unto the Father is accepted be his offering never so mean so it be tendered with sincerity and truth of heart Most unworthy therefore should we be of this so great and unspeakable favour of Almighty God our heavenly Father offered us in the Gospel if when he hath given us his only Son to make the yoak of our obedience easie and possible to be born we contemning this superabundant grace should refuse to wear and draw therein Far be it from the heart of a Christian to think it possible to have any benefit by Christ as long as he stands thus affected or ever to win the prize of eternal life without running the race appointed thereunto Shall we sin that grace may abound saith S. Paul God forbid THUS much of the Gospel Now of Faith whereby we are partakers of the grace therein being the condition of the New Covenant which God hath struck with men Faith is to believe the Gospel that is to attain Salvation through Christ. But there is a three-fold Faith wherewith men believe in Christ. 1. There is a false Faith 2. there is a true Faith but not a saving and 3. there is a saving Faith A false Faith is to believe to attain Salvation by Christ any other way than God hath ordained as namely to believe to attain Salvation through him without works of obedience to be accepted of

speculation but a Faith in motion and able to walk and go unto Christ Iesus whom it believeth which if cherished will in time gather such further strength as will fill the Soul with a full and stedfast confidence But if thou sayest Thou believest that Christ is and that he is the Easer and Saviour of those which seek him and yet thy Soul is not on wing nor any motion in thy Heart advancing to him I say then either thy Sorrow for thy sin is not true and therefore thou yet feelest no need of him or thy Belief is deficient Whatsoever thou sayest and thinkest of thy self thou believest not yet throughly and indeed that Christ Iesus is a Redeemer and Saviour of those that come unto him For as I told you before that he believed not the Law throughly and indeed that could hear it without remorse of Conscience and contrition of Soul so he believes not the Gospel throughly and firmly who being laden and grieved for his sins yet is not able to flie and betake himself unto Christ for mercy For if you saw a man condemned to die and in great affliction for the same who hearing of a Pardon proclaimed for all in his case who would demand it should nevertheless sit still and never go about to seek it who would think but that either he misdoubted the report or gave but little credence to the word of the King Such is the case here There is certainly some defect in believing And this must be cured after the same manner as that in believing the Law namely by a sober and frequent meditation reading hearing and thinking of that great mysterie revealed of Redemption in Iesus Christ and of the gracious Promises of the Gospel in and through him This is Faith's whetstone which if it be blunt will make it keen This is the only means to establish thy Belief if it be deficient or unsetled if there be any metal in it this will give it an edge if there be any sparkles this will blow them into a flame Thus you have heard what Coming to Christ is that is what a Saving Faith is namely so firmly and effectually to believe that Christ is a Saviour of those that seek him as doth incline thy Heart to go unto him to sue out a Pardon and rely upon him for mercy and Redemption NOW follows the Benefit Ease and Rest to thy Soul I will ease you or give you rest that is I will free you of your burthen I will ease you of your sin I will acquit you And this is that we call Iustification of a sinner which is an Absolution or remission of sins by the only merits and satisfaction of Christ accepted for us and imputed to us An acquitting and cancelling of all bonds and obligations of transgression for Christ's sake through the only merit of his death passion and shedding of his bloud For he that hath right to Christ hath right in Christ to be partaker of his righteousness and of whatsoever satisfaction he hath undergone for the sins of mankind whereby he is justified that is acquit before God of the guilt of sin and of the punishment according to the Law due for the same For God saith S. Paul 2 Cor. 5. 21. made him to be sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousness of God in him Rom. 5. 19. For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners so by the obedience of one many are made righteous This is the Ease this is the Rest here mentioned the unlading and unburthening of a sinner where Christ dischargeth him of his loading and beareth him upon his own back For he saith Esay chap. 53. 4 5 6. hath born our griefs and carried our sorrows He was wounded for our transgressions he was bruised for our iniquities the chastisement of our peace was upon him and with his stripes we are healed The Lord laid upon him the iniquity of us all Thus he eased Peter when his heart was ready to break for denying him Thus he eased Mary Magdalen a woman laden with sins when she bathed his feet with tears Luke 7. 48. Thus he refreshed trembling Saul the persecutor Acts 9. 6. And still he casteth the eyes of his mercy upon every one that is poor and of a contrite spirit and trembleth at his word Esa. 66. 2. See therefore here to whom alone a troubled soul is to have recourse for Ease Neither to Angels nor Archangels For those who do so hold not the head Col. 2. 19. Neither to Saints nor Martyrs to Peter nor Paul no not to the blessed Virgin her self For Abraham is ignorant of us and Israel knows us not Esa. 63. 16. and Cursed is he that trusteth in man and maketh flesh his arm and whose heart departeth from the Lord Ier. 17. 5. Nor to the Law given by Moses For the Law worketh not ease but wrath Rom. 4. 15. Nor will our merits and good works pilgrimages fastings or alms-deeds purchase this Ease For although we could do all we ought to do yet must we say we are unprofitable servants and that we have done but that which was our duty to do Luke 17. 10. It is Christ Iesus and only Christ Iesus who can give Rest to a troubled soul that Lamb of God which taketh away the sins of the world AND thus you have in part had a view of the Three points considerable in this Invitation 1. The Persons who 2. The Invitation or Thing invited to what and 3. The Benefit to be attained But I must call you to the Second point again there being one part thereof not yet spoken of For I told you The thing here invited unto was double Christ himself and His yoke The first concerning Christ himself I have spoken of in those words Come unto me Now it remains to speak of the second Take my yoke upon you Those who come unto Christ must also take his yoke upon them But what is this yoke even the yoke of obedience which should have been ours but Christ for our sakes took it upon him and made it his Yet not that we should draw our necks out of the collar but still do our endeavours by denying ungodliness and worldly lusts to live soberly righteously and godly in this present world looking for that blessed hope to come As therefore in coming unto Christ you had Faith in the Ease by him Acquitting or Iustification so in the taking his yoke ye have Sanctification or Holiness of life All which are so linked together that neither must they nor can they be put asunder No man comes to Christ by Faith but shall be eased but no man can ever truly and seriously come unto him to be eased by him but he must take his yoke upon him No man puts on Christ to be justified but he takes on his yoke also to be sanctified That which God hath joyned together let no man put asunder True it