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A28310 A soul-searching catechism wherein is opened and explained not onely the six fundamental points set down Heb. 6. I. but also many other questions of highest concernment in Christian religion : wherein is strong meat for them that are grown and milk for babes, in a very short catechism at the end, exceeding needful for all families in these ignorant and unsetled times / written by Christopher Blackwood. Blackwood, Christopher. 1653 (1653) Wing B3101; ESTC R24658 62,833 92

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an high-priest in time of the law or that we must receive the Supper with unleavened bread because the passeover was so received Yet do these as well follow as baptizing of infants from circumcision of infants The true proportions flowing hence are these 1. none were circumcised but those commanded or exemplified so none ought to be baptized but such 2. As Abraham believing was circumcised and all the males of his house both men and children of eight dayes old both bond and free so now any man believing must be baptized with all his houshold both men and male-children of eight dayes old both bond and free The formal reason why Abraham and the Jews received Circumcision was Gods command concerning infants baptisme if any such command be let it be produced Q Whether are the children of believers in covenant together with their parents A. No for the children are oft out of covenant when the father is in covenant It 's said Gal. 3.7 9. that they that are of the faith of Abraham are the children of Abraham but nowhere hath God made a promise to be a God of believers and their seed unless upon a presupposal that the Lord shall call the seed as well as the father Acts 2.39 If the natural posterity of Abraham were not in the covenant of grace by vertue of that promise Gen. 17.7 as appears Rom. 9.7 neither because they are the seed of Abraham are they all children and vers 8. These that are the children of the flesh these are not the children of God but the children of the promise are counted for the seed much less are the children of other believers children of promise by vertue of generation He that shall hear men preach that children of believers are in the covenant of grace and they that are in the covenant of grace cannot fall away may be apt to conceive himself in that covenant of grace without repentance and faith and shall be saved without any obedience And may not on the other side godly parents when they see their children live vitiously doubt whether they themselves be true believers because they see not their children in the covenant of grace There is a promise or calling home the natural seed of Abraham Rom. 11.27 but God hath not made any such promise to any much less to all the natural seed of any believing Gentile Q Are not the ordinances the outward part of the covenant and is not the title to this hereditary A. Is a box that conveyes a Jewel the outward part of the Jewel Is a conduit-pipe that conveyes water the outward part of the water is Aaron's pot the outward part of the Manna that it kept 2. Suppose the ordinances were the outward part of the covenant how is title hereto hereditary seeing that not only from particular persons but even whole Churches as Ephesus c. these ordinances have been removed long since Besides it is nowhere said in Scripture The childe shall be baptized by vertue of his beliving fathers being baptized or enjoy ordinances because his father enjoyed them 3. There is but one covenant now Heb. 8.10 11. the articles and branches whereof are inward and so is the seal thereof the Spirit Eph. 1.13 There can be no ou●ward dispensation of an uncertain thing now it is uncertain of any individual infant whether he be in the new covenant Q. But doth not Christ say Of little children is the Kingdome of God therefore they may be baptized A. 1. There 's two wayes of belonging to Gods Kingdome 1. By way of election which is secret 2. By calling which is manifest The Ordinance of Baptism ought not to be dispensed upon election or remission of sins which is secret but upon the manifestation thereof 2. Christ baptized not onely laid on his hands on them John 4.2 Had Christ used to baptize infants the disciples would not have kept them back 3. The Kingdome of God being taken for the Kingdome of grace the Kingdome of glory and the visible Church it would pose any man living to prove that the visible Church should be meant here 4. Besides Luke 18.16 they were not infants because Christ is said to call them Q. What further reasons have you against infant-baptism A. 1. The baptisme of Christ is a burial in waters the baptisme of infants is a sprinkling Rom. 6.3 4. Col. 2.12 2. Baptisme doth not causally effectively or actively I mean it doth not from the work done confer faith but refers to the new covenant in by and through the unde●standing therefore where it is dispensed there ought to be an understanding to conceive it 3. The same benefit confirmed in the Supper that this remission of sins is confirmed in baptisme therefore infants being excluded from the one for want of examination they are also excluded from the other for want of faith and repentance 4. Infant-baptisme hinders baptisme from being dispensed as John and other Apostles dispensed it they dispensed it upon profession of faith but no such thing can be in infants Q In what manner must baptisme be administred A. The subject must be right that is not onely taught but taught so long that he be made a disciple Mat. 28.19 2. Not by sprinkling but by burying Rom. 4.5 Col. 2.12 not of the brow or face onely but of the whole body Heb. 10.22 in much water Joh. 3.23 into which the baptizer and the person to be baptized are to enter Mat. 3.6 Acts 8.38 who is to be baptized into the name of Father Son and Spirit Mat. 28.19 in token of remission of sins Act. 2.38 the name of God being first called upon Act. 22.16 Q. Do you judge it better to defer baptisme till persons be able to make profession of their faith A. Yes Infants cannot give any ground to any dispenser of baptisme why he should dispence it to them The dispencing it to infants confounds the world and the Church together many hereby being made Christians in name who never made choice of Christ nor have any love to Christianity yea hereby the Churches are filled with rotten members many of which growing up persecute the true members By deferring baptisme till persons know Christ the Churches would in time come to have a right matter Q. Have not infants faith A. No they have not reason to discern good or evil Deut. 1.39 Jon. 4.11 had they faith they were presently to be admitted to the Supper faith is an act of the Understanding as well as of the Will Q. Whether is there any reason that Baptisme should succeed circumcision because that as circumcision signed the spiritual part of the covenant that is circumcision of heart so baptisme should signifie the same A. No for the Manna the water flowing out of the rock the sacrifices under the law and the sprinkling of blood signified the same yet will not any man say baptisme succeeded these because of the signification The Lords Supper signified the same yet will no man say
betwixt these sinful pleasures here and the fear of eternal vengeance hereafter 5. Their combat how hot soever is still joyned with a custome and purpose of sinning so that they lay down the Cudgels to sin saying This is my nature and I must do it 2 Pet. 2.14 Now the combat in regenerate men is 1. Fierce and in the purpose of the heart against all sin though sometimes it be defective in some act or acts 2. In this combat they disallow the evil they do not onely from a principle of natural conscience which in some sins carnal men may do but also from a principle of spiritual life because it is contrary to the life which they live 3. They groan under their evils with many a sign and tear in secret yea such evils as the world takes no notice of as dead-hartedness declining of affection to God want of former feelings hard ness of heart unbelief coldness and distraction in good duties vain hopes vain fears carking cases lumpishness in Gods service risings of revenge also the tricks the soul hath had to keep off convincement in suffering times also the by-ends in the good it hath done One wears a chain as an ornament another as a fetter and would fain be rid of it so wicked men wear their lusts as ornaments to them but Gods people wear them as the heaviest chain 4. If in the combat the Flesh get the upper hand and they fall they cannot be quiet till they have turned to God and recovered their acquaintance with him Psalm 51.8 9 10 11 12. but carnal men are not troubled but add sin to sin Gen. 37.24 Q. Whether it be possible for a Christian to be assured of his union with Christ and of his acceptation into favour with God A. Yes 1. because the Scripture bids us prove our spirituall estate 2 Cor. 13.4 Gal. 6.4 1 Cor. 11.28 Now the Spirit would not bid us search for that which could not be found 2. Because the Scripture reveales unto us many evidences of our assurance some taken from our union with Christ and some from the in-dwelling of the Spirit in us Q. What markes or signs doth the Scripture reveal to evidence our union with Christ A. The most demonstrative signe or at least one of them is soveraigne love to God to the Lord better then any enjoyment of Lands Liberties Life Wife and Children Mat. 10.37 Luke 9.23 14.26 Mat. 16.24 which evidence if you leave out the soul may be deceived in others severed from this For whosoever believes in Christ his faith doth work by love Gal. 5.4 yea by a love of this measure Heb. 11.25 26 27 35. Q. What are the Witnesses that witness a Christians good condition to God-ward A. They are two 1. The witness of Gods Spirit 2. The witness of our regenerated Spirits Rom. 8.16 The Spirit beareth witness with our Spirit that we are the children of God Q. What doth the Spirit witness A. It witnesses God is our Father for we having received the Spirit of adoption thereby cry Abba Father Rom. 8.15 it witnesses the things that are freely given us of God 1 Cor. 2.9 12. Q. After what manner doth the Spirit witnesse A. Two wayes First by the impressions and stamps which like a Seal upon the Wax it maketh upon the soul Ephes 1.13 Secondly by the fruits and effects thereof Q What are the impressions or stamps the Spirit maketh upon the soul A. They are two First the stamp of Holiness whereby the Spirit changeth the Saints into the image of God from one glorious grace into another 2 Cor. 3.18 so that as a seal destroyes that image that was in the Wax before so doth the seal or stamps of the Spirit destroy corruption in the soul in respect of the reign of it and set up grace in the reign thereof Rom. 6.14 This same stamp of Holiness being throughout 1 Thess 5.23 and consisting in a change of the whole man 2 Cor. 3.18 and especially in a transformation of the minde Rom. 12.2 and will Acts 9.6 is one of the impressions of the Spirit Secondly the impression of Comfort and Feeling Psal 51.8.12 this being given of the Spirit Eph. 1.13 as an occasional refreshing not as daily food for the soul to feed upon Psal 6.8 Psal 31.22 doth shew the Spirit of God is in us 2 Cor. 1.3 yet doth not the want of his feeling prove that the Spirit of God is not in us for God doth sometimes hide himself from the soul Isa 45.15 Psal 51.8 the Spirit in respect of this feeling is one of the three witnesses that testifies Christ to be our Saviour 1 John 5.8 Q. whether is a Christians assurance and feeling all one A. No The word and promise of a powerful faithful and willing God with the Notes and Evidences of a Christians good estate as they are laid down in the Scripture are the grounds of a Christians assurance and comfortable feelings are the Crown thereof A poor deserted soul that hath little feeling may have a soveraign love of God fear of sin and an absolute purpose against it Psal 44.18 19. yea he may have uprightness of heart Job 1.1 compared with chap. 6.4 yea he may have faith in Christ Psal 22.1 yea an earnest thirsting after Christ Cant. 5.6 Now shall I have a purpose to deny credit wealth and life for Christ yea and have all the forementioned gracious fruits and shall I not have grounds of assurance that my estate is good to God-ward When Christ asked Peter whether he loved him he did not say Lord thou knowest we cannot tell whether we love thee or no but said Thou knowest that I love thee Q. Whew doth the Spirit seal the soul with comfort A. First when the soul is cast down in humiliation and earnestly longs for the light of Gods countenance Job 22.29 Isa 29.19 Secondly upon self-denial of that which is pleasant or suffering that which is painful Mat. 19.27 Thirdly after conflict with corruptions or other temptations and victory over them Apoc. 2.17 Fourthly when a believer takes paines with his heart and puts forth his strength in duty Hosea 12.4 Q What are the effects and fruits whereby the Spirit witnesses his in-being in the soul A. They are divers as 1. An inablement of the soul to do things above nature as to love the Lord Soveraignly to love our enemies to love the godly for the Image of God in them 2. When the Spirit is combating in us against all that is sin Gal. 5.17 so that we do not onely suppress the same but also lust after graces contrary thereunto 3. As the beames of the Sun shew forth the presence of the Sun so the sighs groans and meltings in holy hearts evidence that the Spirit is in them Zach. 12.10 Rom. 8.26 Q. What is the testimony of our own spirit A. It is the Testimony of a renewed Conscience witnessing us no be in the state of grace upon sufficient grounds Rom.