Selected quad for the lemma: grace_n
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A67773
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A short and sure way to grace and salvation being a necessary and profitable tract, upon three fundamental principles of Christian religion ... : how man was at first created, how he is now corrupted, how he may be again restored : together with the conditions of the covenant of grace, and to whom the promises of the Gospel belong ... / by R. Younge ...
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Younge, Richard.
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1658
(1658)
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Wing Y185; ESTC R14649
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25,252
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24
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1. 7 9. and sundry other places As are we bound to perform perfect obedience to the Law Christ performed it for us Were we for disobedience subject to the sentence of condemnation the curse of the Law and death of body and soul He was condemned for us and bore the curse of the Law he died in our stead an ignominious death Did we deserve the anger of God hee indured his Fathers wrathful displeasure that so he might reconcile us to hiâ— Father and set us at liberty He that deserved no sorrow felt much that we who deserved much might feel none And by his wounds we are healed Isa. 53. 5. Adam eat the Apple Christ paid the price Iâ— a word whatsoever wâ— owed Christ discharged whatsoever we deserved he suffered if not in the selâ— same punishments for he being God could not suffer the eternal tormentâ— of Hell yet in proportion the dignity of his Person he being God and man giving value unto his temporary punishments and making them of more value and worth then if all the world should have suffered the eternall torments of Hell For it is more for one that is eternall to dye then for others to dye eternally Therefore was the Son of God made the Son of man that the Sons of men might be made the Sons of God and therefore was he both God and man lest being in every respect God he had been too great to suffer for man or being in every respect man he had been to weak to satisfie God And so much for explication of the Third Principle mentioned in the beginning Sect. XX But now coms the hardest part of my work to be performed For admit the Natural man be convinced of the truth of these three fundamentall principles never so clearly yet he will draw such a conclusion from the premisses that he will be never the better for what bath been told him yea he will decoct all even the mercy and goodness of God into poyson For what wil such a one suggest to himself the Divell helping forward Let it be granted will he say that I were every way wretched and miserable a great sinner both originally and actually and likewise liable to all the plagues of this life and of that to come yet I thank God I am well enough so long as Christ hath pâ—y'd my ransom freed me from all by a new Covenant the tenuâ—e whereof is Believe and live whereas at first it was do this and live to which I answer In Covenants and indentures between party and party there are always articles and conditions to be performed on the one side aswell as promises to be fulfilled on the other as saith Pareus Now as God hath covenanted bound himself by his word and Seal to remit thee thy sins adopt thee his child by regeneration and give thee the kingdome of Heaven everlasting life by for his Son's sake so Christ hath for on thy behalf undertaken yea thou thy self didst for thy part bind thy self by covenant promise and vow in thy baptism that thou wouldest forsake the Devil and all his works constantly believ Gods holy Word obediently keep his Commandements the better thereby to express thy thankfulness towards him for so great a benefit 1 Pet. 3. 21. Psa. 116. 12 13 14 And we know that in Covenants and Indentures if the Conditions be not kept the Obligation is not in force Whereby millions Magus like after the water of Baptisme which is a seal of the Covenant of Grace go to the fire of Hell Yea except we repent and believe the Gospell threats and precepts aswell as promises that holy sacrament together with the offer of grace instead of Sealing to us our salvation will be an obligation vnder our own hand and seal against us and so prove a seal of our greater condemnation Therefore the mayn question is Whether thou art a Believer For although Christ in the Gospel hath made many large precious promises there are none so generall which are not limited with the condition of faith and the fruit thereof unfained repentance and each of them are so tyed and entayled that none can lay claim to them but true believers which repent and turn from all their sins to serve him in holiness without which no man shall see the Lord Heb. 12. 14. Isa. 39. 20. As for instance Our Savior hath made publick proclamation Mark 16. 16. That whosoever shall believe and be baptized shall be saved but mark what withal is added he that will not believe shall be damned Again So God loved the world that be gave his onely begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life Joh. 3. 15 16. And that none may deceive themselvs he addeth He that believeth on him is not condemned but he that believeth not is condemned already because he hath not believed in the name of the onely begotten Son of God And this is the condemnation that light is come into the world and men loved darkness rather then light Joh. 3. 19 20. And again As many as received him to them he gave power to become the sons of God even to them that believe on his name Joh. 1. 12. Again Hecâ— 5. 9. He is said to be the author of eternal salvation unto all that obey him not unto them which continue in their rebellious wickednesse and never submit themselvs to be ruled by the scepter of his Word Christ's blood saith Zâ—â—câ—ie was shed as well for ablution as for absolution as well to cleanse from the sâ—il and filth of sin as to clear and assoil from the guilt of sin Rom 6. 5 6. God bath chosen us in Christ before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and without blame before him in love Ephes. 1. 4. They therefore that never come to be holy were never chosen He is said to have given himself for us that he might reâ—eem us from all iniquity and purge us to be a peculiar people unto himself zealous of good works Titus 2. 14. Luke 1. 74 75. Yea the Lord binds it with an â—ath that whomsoever he redeemeth out of the hands of their spiritual enemies they shall worship him in holinesse and righteousnesse all the daies of their life Luk. 1. 73 74 75. 1 Pet. 2. 24. and Titus 2. The grace of God which bringeth salvation teacheth us that we should deny ungodlinesse and worldly lusts anâ— that we should live soberly righteously and godly in this present world vers. 12. By all which it is plain that as Christ's blood is a Charter of pardon so withall it is a covenant of direction and hee that refuseth to live as that covenant prescribes may perish as a malefactor that is hanged with his pardon about his neck Sect. XXI But alas say what can be said carnall men who love their sins better then their souls will answer all yea confute whatever can be alleaged with God
A SHORT AND SURE Way to Grace and Salvation Being a necessary and profitable Tract upon Three Fundamental Principles of Christian Religion which few do indeed know and yet hee who knowes them not cannot bee saved Viz. How Man was at first Created How he is now Corrupted How he may be again restored Together with the conditions of the Covenant of Grace and to whom the promises of the Gospel belong The which well learned would keep millions out of Hell that blindly throng thither By R. YOUNGE of Roxwell in Essex If our Gospell bee hid it is hid to them that are lost in whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not least the light of the glorious Gospell of Christ who is the image of God should shine unto them 2 Cor. 4. 3 4. Sect. I. AS when God created the World the first thing he made was Light Gen. 1. 3. so when he makes us new creatures hee first creates light in the understanding whereby the poor soul may see his spiritual misery and wretchednesse which before by reason of that vail or curtain which is drawn over every natural man's heart 2 Cor. 3. 14 15 16. he is so far from discerning that with Laodicea he thinks himself rich and to want nothing when yet he is wretched and miserable and poor and blinde and â—aked of all spiritual endowments Rev. 3. 17. 1 Tim. 6. 4. As for instance it 〈◊〉 to be observed can never be enough bewailed that generally throughâ—…ut the Land people of all sorts young and old rich and poor especially the poor are so invincibly ignorant that remaining so it is impossible so far as I am able to judg by the word of God that ever they should be saved As ask them these questions How do you hope to be saved They will answer By my praiers and good indeavors Have you never broke this or that Commandement Thou shalt have no other gods but the Lord Thou shalt not kill Thou shalt not steal Thou shalt not commit Adultery No never they thank God Are you proud No not they What should they bee proud of and many the like As for Original sin they know not what it means Nor is there any convincing them that they were born sinners into the world Yea let a Minister come to them upon their death-bed and question with them about their estates or ask them how their souls fare and what peace they have What will be their manner of answering especially if they have not been notorious offenders Are they a whit troubled for Sin either Original or Actual Or will they acknowledge themselves in a lost condition without Christ No their consciences are at quiet and they are at peace with themselves and all the world and they thank God no sin troubles them not ever did They have been no Murtherers no Adulterers no common Drunkards neither have they been Oppressers For they are so blinde and ignorant that they think the Commandement is not broken if the outward grosse sin bee forborn Yea will they say I do not know that I have wronged man woman or child I have been a Protestant and gone to Church all my daies Sect. II. 2. Yea so far are they from being sensible of their wants that you shal hear them brag of their faith works and good meaning of their just and upright dealing the goodnesse of their hearts the strength of their faith hope and that they never doubted in all their lives Yea that it were pity they should live if they did not believe in Christ and hope to be saved by him The usual expressions of formal Christians and Protestants at large who know not what faith hope or a good heart means no more then Nicodemus knew what it was to be born again All which answers and brags of theirs do imply that they are as righteous as Christ himself or Adamin the state of innocency for he that can clear himself from pride or the breach of any one Commandement or from Original sin may clear himself from all sin whatsoever and if so what need of Christ Yea what possibility is there that ever such a soul should have any benefit by Christ who came not to call the righteous viz. such as think themselvs so but weary and heavy laden sinners to repentance Mat. 10. 6. â— 15. 24. 18. 11. 9. 12. 13. 1 Tim. 1. 15. Luke 1. 53. Sect. III. Again this is an infallible truth that without repentance there is no being saved and what hope of their serious and unfained repentance For sin must be seen before it can be sorrowed for A man must know himself sick before he will seek to the Physitian Yea where is no discovery of the disease the recovery of the health is in vain hoped for Which makes Cyp◠〈◊〉 say that it is as meer lost labour to preach unto a man the things of God 〈◊〉 fore he is humbled with the fight oâ— his wants as to offer light to a blin◠〈◊〉 man to speak to a deaf man or to labour to make a bruit beast wise Besides if we look to be saved by any thing that we can do Christ can profit us nothing For the Son of man is come to seek and to save onely that which was lost the lost sheep of the house of Israel Mat. 18. 11. Luk. 19. 10. 1 Tim. 1. 15. even such as utterly despair in regard of all other helps Nor is he any way fit for absolution who finds not himself worthy of condemnation We shal find no sweetnesse in Christs blood till we feel the smart of our own sins Yea no men under Heaven are in so hoplesse a condition as they who think to be saved by their performances or any other thing or means then by the righteousnesse of Christ alone faring with them as it doth with unskilful swimmers who when they begin to sink if they catch hold of weeds in the bottom the faster they hold the surer they are to be drowned Sect. IV. Fourthly and lastly there needs no more to condemne these men then their ignorance of such saving truths especially in such glorious times of light and grace as these are wherein they may hear the Word preached every day in the week if they did not sleight and disregard it which aggravates their sin exceedingly For though it be enough that God hath set down his will in his word most plainly and we may read or hear it read were it at any rate and that the Epitome of the whole Law is writ in every man's heart Whatsoever yee would that men should do unto you even so do ye unto them Mat. 7. 12. As it servs not a male factors turn to plead ignorantiam juris he knew not the Law of his Prince which he hath broken for if the King have once proclaimed any thing and the subject after sufficinet time of notefying his will be ignorant of it at his own perill