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
A55567	A sanctuary for the tempted: being a discourse on Christ's friendly admonition to Peter Wherein the fall and rising of Peter, is at large considered: the craft, potency, and malice of Satan (that arch-enemy of our salvation) discovered: his various wiles. stratagems and machinations invalidated: several choice and excellent Gospel-truths handled, and cleared (from the calumnies and objections of gainsayers.) ... Delivered in sundry sermons, at first; and now, published for the benefit of God's church in general. To which is added, four sermons, preach'd upon sacramental occasions. By Thomas Powel, preacher of the Gospel, and one, whom Satan hath winnowed.	Powell, Thomas.	1679 (1679)	Wing P3075; ESTC R30536	152,491	435

so Faith works by Love which it Excites Love 't is true is the Grace that at last possesseth the Inheritance But it is Faith that gives the Christian Right unto it without which he should never have Enjoyed it Ioh. 1. 12. To as many as Received Him He gave Power to become the Sons of God Faith is the Grace of Graces It stands among them as the Heart in the midst of the Body Other Graces are but Stars unto this Shining Sun And now that Faith hath such a peculiar Excellency above all other Graces I shall shew in these following Particulars First In that the Apostle Recommends it to us above all Things what-so-ever Ephes. 6. 16. Above all taking the Shield of Faith where-with ye shall be able to quench all the fiery Darts of the Wicked That Faith hath a Preheminence above other Graces appears 1. By the Piece of Armour he compares it to the Shield which of Old was prized above all other Pieces by Souldiers They counted it greater Shame to Lose their Shield than to Lose the Field And therefore when under the very Foot of the Enemy they would not part with it but esteemed it an Honour to Dye with their Shield in their Hand It was the Charge that one laid upon her Son going into the VVars when she gave him a Shield That he should either bring his Shield Home with him or he be brought Home upon his Shield She had rather see him Dead with it than come Home Alive without it 2. By the Noble Effect which is here ascribed to Faith By which ye shall quench all the fiery Darts of the Wicked The other Pieces are nakedly Commended Take the Girdle of Truth Breast-plate of Righteousness and so the rest but nothing singly ascribed to any of them what they can do But when he speaks of Faith he ascribes the whole Victory to it This quencheth all the fiery Darts of the Wicked Secondly The Commendations that are given to Faith above other Graces shew that it hath the Preheminence For you shall observe that in the same Action wherein other Graces are eminently Exercised as well as Faith even then Faith is taken notice of and the Crown set upon Faith's Head rather than any of the other We hear nothing almost of any other Grace throughout the whole Eleventh of the Hebrews but Faith By Faith Abraham by Faith Jacob and the rest of those Worthies did all those Famous Exploits There was a Concurrence of the other Graces with Faith in them all But all goes under the Name of Faith The whole Army fight yet the General or Captain hath the Honour of the Victory ascribed to him Alexander's and Caesar's Names are transmitted to Posterity as the Great Conquerours that Over-came so many Battles not the Private Souldiers that Fought under them Faith is the Captain-Grace all those Famous Acts of those Saints are Recorded as the Atchievments of Faith Thirdly The High Office that Faith busieth it self about shews its Preheminence above other Graces Now the Office of Faith is two-fold 1. The Office of Faith is to Unite us unto Christ. Faith and the Holy Spirit are the Bonds of the Spiritual Union The Spirit on Christ's part and Faith on Ours Hence it is that Faith is called Vinculum Unionis the Ingrafting Grace And in this it appears that Faith doth more especially Excel all other Graces Other Graces make us like Christ but Faith makes us one with Christ. By Love and Humility we imitate Christ but by Faith we are implanted into Christ. 2. To Justify us Being Iustified by Faith we have Peace with God Not Justified by Love Repentance Patience or any other Grace beside Faith O how harsh doth it sound in a Christian Ear Iustifying Patience Iustifying Repentance If they were concern'd in the Act of Iustification as Faith is the Name would as well become them as it doth Faith it self But we find Iustification Appropriated only to Faith and all other Graces are hedg'd out from having to do in the Act of Iustification though supposed and included in the Person Justified Faith I say Justifies us not Qualitative but Relative in that it apprehends the Righteousness of Christ the Subject matter of our Iustification That we are Justified is not by any Vertue that lies in Faith not in Faith considered purely as a Grace but as it hath Respect to the Object The Vertue is not in Faith but in Christ. Fourthly The Mighty and Universal Influence that Faith hath upon all her Sister-Graces makes her the Chief of them all What makes the Sun so Glorious a Creature but because it is a Common Good and serves all the Lower World with Light and Influence First Faith finds all the Graces with work As the Rich Tradesman gives out his Wool some to this Man and some to that who all Spin and work of the Stock he gives them out So that when he ceaseth to Trade they must also because they have no Stock but what he affords them Thus Faith gives out to every Grace what they Act upon If Faith Trades not neither can they To instance in one or two Graces for all the rest Repentance This is a Sweet Grace but set on work by Faith Niniveh's Repentance is attributed to their Faith Ionah 3. 5. The People of Niniveh believed God and proclaimed a Fast and put on Sackcloath All is whist and quiet in an Unbelieving Soul no News of Repentance nor Noise of any Complaint made against Sin till Faith begins to stir When Faith presents the Threatning and binds the Truth and Terrour of it to the Conscience then the Sinner hath something to work upon Secondly As Faith sets the other Graces on work by actuating their Objects about which they are Conversant So Faith doth assist them in working by fetching Strength from Christ. Christ is the Magazine and Faith the Radical Grace sucks Vertue Vigour and Strength from this Magazine Not to speak any more touching the Preheminence of Faith above other Graces though I might dilate in several Particulars more I shall conclude this Head with those several Appellations that are given to Faith whereby the Glorious Excellencies of that Grace are shadowed forth 1. Faith is called a Key because as a Key it opens Hidden Heavenly Treasure 2. Faith is call'd an Eye because as an Eye it beholds Things though Invisible 3. Faith is call'd an Hand because it layes hold on Eternal Life in that it Apprehends the Merits of Christ by which Salvation is Purchased 4. Faith is call'd a Mouth because it Eats Christ the Bread of Life 5. It is call'd a Ladder by which we Ascend up to Heaven Now in all these the Excellency of Faith discovers it self Moreover Faith is a Tree the Root whereof is a Sound Knowledge of God and his Wayes The Branches thereof is Assent and Application And the Fruits of it is the Production of Good Works Yea so Excellent is Faith that it is compared

TO THE Religious Worthy Mr. IOSEPH HOLDEN OF LONDON Gent. And my much Esteemed Friend Dear Honored Sir THE Dedication of Books unto Persons of Worth and Interest Service and Honor though often abused to Vain Flattery is of Antient Use and oft-times doth Secure the same from the Euroclydons of a Censorious Age And therefore the Custom is not to be Despised especially considering that one of the Pen-men of Holy Scripture hath Hallowed it by his Practice who Inscribeth his Gospel and his Acts to Theophilus a Person both Eminent in Religion and Dignify'd with Birth and Place which ever since has been Imitated by the Best and Wisest of Men in all Ages So that I shall use no further Apology on this Account But the Reasons why I Address my Self to You in this manner and Prefix your Name to this Work are many a few whereof may not be needless here to Insert viz. Your eximious Piety Faithfulness and Zeal towards God your laudable Love towards and Tenderness of all under what Names of Discrimination so-ever that have but aliquid Christi in them which is rare now a-days Sir I speak my Conscience That this is as an Orient Pearl shining in your Breast and in which lies much of your Eminency viz. Unfeigned Love to the Brethren which is one of those Excellent Things that accompany Salvation And that your Love is Unfeigned appears from the Spirituality and the Universality of it Your Love is Spiritual because it is a Love for the Image of God that is stamped on the Creature In the next place It is Universal in that it extends to all Saints as Saints how-ever Distinguished among us and not making this or that Difference in Judgment a Difference in Affection which too oft-times is Saintship is the Ground of your Love and where-ever you Espy it you Like it Love it and Admire it though their Errors may be many so they be not Fundamental and Approved Your Faith is enough to Justify this before God and your Good Works enough to Justify it before Men Of your Good Works many poor Souls besides God Angels and your own Conscience are Witnesses of Among whom I may well be accounted one who am able to attest the Largness of your Heart unto poor Christians and the Filling-up that Relation in which you stand viz. Your Succouring me in my Tempted Condition your Fervent Prayers Set and Occasional Solemn and Sudden that were made with and for me your gracious Words feeling Expressions pious Discourses wholsom Admonitions divine Cordials simpathizing Epistles And lastly which Crowned all was your incouraging and forwarding me in that Holy Work and Function where-unto God has called me of which I must have despaired as to all secundary Causes and outward Instruments assisting of me had not God stir'd up your Heart towards me on the Fore-sight of what I am now through Divine Providence arrived unto In a word You believed for me what I could not believe for my self So that my present State is an Effect of your Faith and a Fruit of your Hope and Labor which I desire may be to the Glory of God the Good of Immortal Souls and the Fulfilling of your Expectations which I know are High concerning me And well they may because of Expence that I have put you to Besides Your owning of me against the furious Onset of some prejudiced * Persons whose Names I shall conceal for the Glory of God's Sake and their own Reputation that would have parted between Friend and Friend by whispering in your Ears things of me unbecoming them of their Place to say especially considering me to be a Brother though the Younger One and the Unworthiest of all Yet none of these Things could byass your Unbyassed Disposition towards me and by vertue of that Spirit of Discerning which God has given you was more able to Judg of me than they And therefore they could not come to a Person with whom their Tales could be more unwelcom than with you Whence it is that notwithstanding those Jealousies which they would have fomented you have continued your Favor hither-to unto me This together with many other of your Favours which to enumerate I know would but disgust you have obliged me to this unfeigned Expression of my Gratitude and Service in what I may or can especially for your constant Countenance your undeserved Bounty and your propitious Acceptance of my poor fore-past Labors So that if you will but accept of this Plain and Unpolished Discourse also it will be an Additional Favor unto all the former My Confidence beloved Sir is in your Self and not in any thing of my Stile here that may merit an Admission into the Cabinet of your more serious Thoughts Matter and Method being both plain Only this I can say for my Book The Things contained in it are Weighty and High though the Expressions are Plain and Familiar And I know not of any thing here handled but I first tried it by the Touchstone of the Word and could Seal to it by my own Experience So that what comes to the View of your Eye will I question not but be approved Some Rhetorical Flourishes that some much use are here wanting yet I am almost confident that it will prove Acceptable unto you that be my Friend and whose Property all along has been to wink at small Faults This Book I hope though it is not set out as some are may be useful to Christians of all sorts and sizes viz. Babes Little Children Young Men and Fathers and I suppose the Unconverted may find something here-in to Chew also When I Preached these things it was not without good Acceptation and Success as I have not a little Cause to presume The Happiness of Believers and the Unhappiness of Unbelievers is here opened The Nature of True Saving Faith is handled Iustification by Faith hinted The Potency of Christ's Intercession on the Behalf of the Elect Believers Perseverance Satan's Wiles Discovered Together with many other Useful Things All very Material Practical and Soul-searching Now these Good Sir do I Present unto you not that you needed them For I question not but that you have Treasured up every Thing that may be of Excellency in this Book long before my Time that am but of Yester-day My Desire is only as in part I have said already to express what I would if I could And more-over To let you see something that God has done for me and that your Endeavours have not been in vain 〈◊〉 the Lord. What is here was intended you sooner but some Emergent Occasions intervening prevented Besides my Design was ●…o have buried it in Oblivion ●…ut only that some that were Friends to it Revived it If this ●…ittle Spark may give Light or Heat to any Heart I shall have my desire What now remains ever Honored Sir but that God may Prosper you in all your lawful Undertakings That

9. Iam. 1. 21. Ioh. 1. 14. Arg. 5. Fifthly The Love of God to his Chosen Ones is Unchangeable Ioh. 13. 1. Ier. 31. 3. Isa. 54. 4 5 6 7 8. 10. Arg. 6. Sixthly Their Union with their Head Christ Iesus is Unseparable Ioh. 10. 28. Matth. 16. 18. Hos. 2. 19. Arg. 7. Seventhly The Kingdom and Dominion of Christ within them is Invincible Luk. 1. 33. Luk. 21. 22. Dan. 2. 44. Psal. 2. 9. Arg. 8. Eighthly The Power by which they are Supported is Unconquerable 1 Pet. 1. 4 5. Psal. 73. 24. 1 Cor. 1. 8 9. Arg. 9. Ninethly No Temptation shall utterly cast them down 1 Cor. 10. 13. Matth. 8. 26. Arg. 10. Tenthly The Saving Gifts and Graces of God's Spirit are without Repentance Rom. 11. 29. Ier. 32. 40 41. Arg. 11. Eleventhly All turn for the Best to them that Love God Rom. 8. 28. All these Arguments Christian Reader in my Mind do so Evince the Truth that no Grounds of Doubting can be left SECT III. Testimonies Antient. 1. That this Truth may not appear as a Novelty see it owned by the Church and divers Worthies Antient and Modern Saint Chrysostome on Luk. 22. vers 32. But I have Prayed for thee that thy Faith fail not seems to be of this Opinion Mark saith he he doth not say I have Prayed for thee that thou shouldst not Deny me but I have Prayed that thy Faith should not Vanish and be Abolished As for Augustine 't is well known he writ a whole Book of the Perseverance of the Saints in which he has these Excellent Expressions Perseverance is a continual Profes●… of Faith and Demonstration of the ●…its of Faith Because the Elect al●…es Retain their Faith and some ●…its of it They are alwayes as the ●…ee planted by the River-side Psal. 1. vers 3. They are alwayes held up by the Hand 〈◊〉 Jehovah and therefore cannot fall They are alwayes like Mount Zion ●…hich cannot be Removed Psal. 25. ●…rs 1. Bernhard in his Epistle 129. and Ser. ●…7 Cant. hath many Excellent Things ●…out Perseverance Those who would be further Satis●…d as to the Judgment of the Fa●…rs may find Passages enough for ●…at end Collected to their Hands 〈◊〉 Dr. Kendal's Sancti Sanciti in Eng●…h and in Latin in Hier. Zanch. De ●…rs Sanct. in Miscell V. 3. Oper. Alsted in his Famous Book of Theology saith That Perseverance is a Gift and such a Gift whereby God doth so firmly keep his Elect in a State of Grace as that they shall never fall from thence Dr. Wolleby in his System of Divinity hath Five Arguments deduced 1. From the Certainty of our Election Matth. 24. 24. 2 Tim. 2. 19. 2. The Certainty of our Vocation Rom. 11. 29. 3. The Certainty of our Faith though Weak if it be True 4. The Certainty of our Iustification Rom. 8. v. 1. 5. The Certainty of our Sanctification Phil. 1. 6. Calvin was clearly for this Point as you may see in his Institutions Luther's Words about this Doctrine are many in divers of his Writings One Passage of his especially I cannot omit which I find quoted by Dr. Manton in his Notes on Iude pag. 58. As 't is impossible to sever the Leaven and the Dough when they are once mingled and kneaded together So Christ and a Believer when they are United together there is no Parting more Melancthon on these Words Quis separabit nos a dilectione Dei Who shall separate us from the Love of God has these Famous Lines which I shall Transcribe Conclusio est totius Consolationis Cum Deus diligat nos propter Meritum Intercessionem Filii certissimum est servaturum esse Ecclesiam etiamsi est infirma horribilibus Furoribus Diabolorum Impiorum oppugnatur Disputant autem hîc aliqui An possit Electus amittere Dilectionem quâ Deum diligit Haec Questio aliena est ab hoc loco Dictum est autem alibi Electos posse labi sicut lapsi sunt Adam Eva Aaron David Paulus autem hic loquitur de Dilectione qua Deus universam Ecclesiam diligit loquitur de Conservatione Universae Ecclesiae Deinde etiam de singulis Membris quae reverae per Fidem sunt Ecclesiae Membra Haec Dilectio in Promissione revelata est quae affirmat Deum semper collecturum esse Ecclesiam quae in totâ Eternitate fruetur ejus Vitâ Justitiâ Laetitiâ juxta Dictum Portae Inferorum non praevalebunt adversus eam Adfirma●… item Promissio Conversos qui verâ Fide inseruntur Christo diligi â Deo ut Johan 14. dicitur S●… quis diligit me sermonem meum servabit De hâc Certitudine hic loquitur quâ Conservationem universae Ecclesiae scimus certam esse Certò etia●… scimus singulos perseverantes in Fide salvos fore Addit igitur Servabitur Ecclesia etiamsi erunt magna Certamina oppugnabitur variis modis dulcedine Vitae metu Mortis insidi is Diabolorum terroribus Tyrannorum Exercituum Nam Tyranno●… nominat 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Exercitus autem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 videlicet Tota agmina persequentium SECT IV. Modern Testimonies 2. WE are in a better State by Christ than we should have been in if we had continued in Adam speaking of Perseverance I shall Transcribe a Letter concerning Falling away from Grace by that Incomparable Prelate Ioseph Hall My good Mr. B. you send me Flowers from your Garden and look for some in return out of mine I do not more willingly send you these than I do thankfully receive the other I could not keep my Hand from the Paper upon the Receipt of your Letters though now in the Midst of my Attendance As my Desire of your Satisfaction calls me to Write something so my other Employments force me to Brevity in a Question wherein it were easie to be endless I am sorry that any of our New Excuti-fidians should pester your Suffolk although glad in this that they could not light upon a Soyl more Fruitful of able Oppugners It is a Wonder to me to think that Men should labour to be Witty to rob themselves of Comfort Good Sir Let me know these New Disciples of Leyden that I may Note them with that Black Coal they are worthy of Troublers of a better Peace than that of the Church the Peace of the Christian Soul They pretend Antiquity What Heresie doth not so What marvel is it if they would wrest Fathers to them while they use Scripture it self so Violently For that their First Instance of Hymeneus and Alexander how vain is it like themselves Nothing can be more plain than that those Men were Gross Hypocrites who doubts therefore but they might fall from all that Good they pretended to have What is this to prove that a True Child of God may do so But say they these Men had Faith and a Good Conscience True such a Faith and