Selected quad for the lemma: grace_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
grace_n	faith_n	justify_v	sanctification_n	2,387	5	10.2932	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A65372	Believers priviledges and duties and the exercise of communicants; holden forth in severall sermons: preached on diverse texts and at severall occasions. By the learned, pious and laborious servant of Jesus Christ, Mr Alexander Wedderburne first minister of the gospell at Forgan in Fife; and thereafter at Kilmarnock in the West. Part first.	Wedderburn, Alexander, d. 1678.	1682 (1682)	Wing W1238; ESTC R219480	104,769	240

that are not Papists know that they must be justified by faith alone but for sanctification a part whereof is the laying aside of weights we labour to wring it out of our own hearts as if Christ were not the author and finisher of it and as if we did beleeve with Arminians that Christ had not died to putchase faith to us but it were in the power of a mans will to beleeve or not beleeve accordingly as he used his natural induements but this being done the laying aside of weights becomes farr more easie yea and pleasant to us But I come now to consider this precept of laying aside weights as it relates to the words following Let us runn with patience in which consideration by ane allusion to the Olympick and Pithick games they contain ane introductory act to the running of the race 1st The weights must be layd aside and then run and thus they affoord this Observation That the example of a cloud of witnesses will not be sufficiens to influence our running our race with patience if there be not mortifieation to both outward and inward impediments Both are comprehended under weights here and both must be mortified it being usual in Scripture to express mortification by this phrase of laying aside 1 Pet. 1 vers 2. Jam. 1 21. I shall briefly only prove the point and apply it For proofe of it Jam. 5 10. Take my Brethren the Prophets for ane example who spoke to you in the name of the Lord of patient sufferings But will this suffice No the Apostle thinks fitt to add be patient Brethren stablish your hearts grudge not Importing that if there be no more but examples though even of the Prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord it will not doe the turne if there be not some work upon the spirit of a man himselfe It is indeed ane undenyable truth examples are of excellent use in our Christian course sunt nonnulli said holy Bernard quos ad amorem patriae plus exempla quam praedicamenta succendunt But there are two things in the words to pass many other that I shall only make use of to evince this that beside the example there must be a mortifying and laying aside these impediments 1. They are weights 2. They are sins that easily and so easily besett us And in both the Apostle intends arguments to lay them aside First Consider them as weights so they are very unsuitable to a race if they be not mortified they produce two things very unsuitable for a race they weaken us and they intangle us 1st They weaken us Our strength how little soever it be must be devyded betwixt our journey our burdens It is not all to be spent upon our race Pcrerius thinks when Abraham was about to offer Isaack he did not tell Sarah for as strong as his faith was there was work eneough for it though Sarah were not ingadged against him Whereas he that layes aside these weights is not so overlayd nor hath he his strength devided It was a remarkable answer Erasmus reports in Apophthegms Diogenes on a time gave to Plato Plato had become somewhat less in reputatione because he had gone to Sicily to the Tyrant Dyonisius and received great gifts from him and on a day coming into Diogenes Cell he found hm dyning on roots whereupon Plato said to him if thou could'st please Dyonisius thou needed not eat roots Diogenes replyed If thou couldst eat roots thou needed not please Dyonisius Diogenes thought Plato weakned by this he could not eat roots He that is mortified to wordly pleasures hath his strength intire for his race Beside 2dly As they are weakning so they are exceedingly intangling no man that warreth sayeth the Apostle 2 Tim. 2 4. intangleth himselfe with the affairs of this life 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is a word borrowed from a bird that is intangled in a net these weights are as a net round about us that by flightering we cannot winn out of So that it may be said of such a person as Pharaoh said of I sreal They are intangled they are intangled and how unsuitable is this for a race But let us take the Apostles other expression they doe easily beset us and in this two things I would open First Shew you that sin does easily beset 2dly What force is in this to press the laying it aside First That it easily besets is evident from these things 1. How easily does the tentations to it take in thee as sparks lighting among tinder Immediatly or straightway He went after her sayes Salomon of the young man and strange woman God must draw us we pull as it were against him But any tentation kindles us as it were in ane instant Beside 2dly sinful suggestions they seat so insensibly into the minde that even when we are in most spiritual duties ere we are awar we find ourselves overcharged by them As Junius complained that often when he was in prayer his mind was in the gallery he had seen in Rome Yea even after we have resolved and purposed against them yet like Hophni and Phinehas we are ready to commit uncleaness in the door of the Tabernacle of the congregation And it is no wonder there is no sin but it hath a party within us We cannot say as once our Captain did when we are to encounter tentations The Prince of this World cometh against me but he hath nothing within me It hath much within us and therefore no wonder it easily beset us Secondly Now there is a great deal of strength in his argument to press us to lay it aside For 1. That it besets us hath the force of ane argument into it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the old latin renders it circumstans Beza circumcingens It is as a belt round about us or as a wall standing about us If we look before us or behind us or what ever way we will we will find tentations from it in what ever part of our race we will find a weight from it Therefore mortify it otherwayes if called to active obedience or passive it will hing on for it besets us 2dly As it besets us so it easily besets us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this hath the force of another argument in it If we mortify not though our argument from examples were never so great we may conclude tentationes corruptiones will surely hinder us in our race for they beset us and easily beset us we have good reason of taking heed in casting sparks among flax since it so easily kindles And no less in laying aside and mortifying corruptione since in our race it so easily besets us being as a wall built round about us Application First it reproves those who in order to their encountering tryals labour for no mortification of weights and sins that easily beset them For 1. The want of this makes a man altogither unmeit for difficulties in his race 2

speak of them in a farr other strain then another can doe See how Paul speaks of Agrippa and Bernice fitting in the judgement-seat on him Acts 25 23. And when Agrippa and Bernice were come with great pomp 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with a great many phansies so looks Paul on all their pomp And on his external priviledges Phil. 3. as dung 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be casten to dogs And what ever account Egyptians made of Pharaohs treasures Moses saw them to be but the pleasures of sin that indured for a season Now when weights are thus discerned and thus they are by faith how easie is it to lay them aside Thirdly Faith possesses the soul with assurance of Gods care and provision of these things that often prove weights to us It is a remarkable word Heb. 13 v. 5. Let your conversation be without covetousness and be content with such things as you have for he hath said I will not leave thee nor forsake thee There is enough for faith to be content upon if it have He hath said Not that it destroyes necessary means Add to your faith vertue 2 Pet. 1 7. But when any thing becomes a weight to imped our running in our race the soul that beleeves can lay it aside and trust God for what may be convenient in that kind Again The life that I live in the flesh is by saith in the Son of God Gal. 2 vers 20. He loved me and gave himself for me and for temporal things I will live by faith in him Fourthly Faith puts the soul upon higher designes then these weights can amount to and so makes them easier to be undervalued Psal 39 6. See how David despyleth the intanglements of wordlings Surely man walketh in a vain shew they disquyet themselves in vain heaping up riches What is this a vain shew How cames the Psalmist to insert this paradoxe See him in the next verse see him on a higher designe And now Lord what wait I for my hope is in thee deliver me from all my transgressions I am said the great Alexander a King and not a merchant when Darius sen him ane offer of many talents to returne to Greece again He told Parmenio it might sute with him to take Darius offer but not with Alexander When a beleever confiders what ane inheritance what a marriage how excellent ane husband what sweetness of Communion what wonder these weights be easily laid aside and this is done by faith Lastly By saith the sprength of Christ is brought in to help to lay aside these weights And thus it becomes easie I know how to abound Philipp 4. and how to want I can doe all things through him that strengthens me As all these wayes shew how useful faith is for laying aside these weights so in then next place I shall shew that without faith it is impossible to lay them aside For First The inclination of our heart is so strong to these things that often prove weights that without faith it is impossible to subdue it and consequently to lay them aside All the light and strengt of natural induements could never bring Heathens to mortification of these weights Even Seneca who gave the most excellent precepts of any Heathen yet was eminently tained with earthly-mindedness Yea even such as have some measure yea a great measure of faith have work enough with it It is conceived by many learned that Satan tempted Christ with all the Kingdoms of the earth Matth. 4. because he knew it was ane allutment by which he prevailed with the most eminently Godly Secondly Without faith a man cannot put and thing better in the place of these weights and therefore cna hardly lay them aside Ane unbeleever of his riches must say as Micha of his Idols Ye have taken away me Gods and what have I more But a beleever if he lay aside these he can say as Alexander the Great did when he had devyded all his Kingdom among his followers and one asked him what he reserved for himselfe he answered Hope They have hope as ane anchor both sure and fast Yea not only hope but also something to rejoice in for the present Hab. 3 vers 17. Although the figg tree should not blossome and the wyne shold not yeeld her fruit and the labour of the olive should fail yet I will rejoice in God I will joy in the God of my salvation Thirdly Corrupt reason in man is no small friend to the retaining of these weights prone to suggest even in a Peter Master pity thy selfe The remarkable History of Francis Spira written by Sleidan and others is very remarkable to this purpose who being allured by his relationes and possessiones did renounce the faith he had formerly owned and how tragical his end was all know Now when reason appears such a friend to the retaining of these weights if there be not faith to counter-ballance who can lay them aside Application See the way then and the only way how to get these weights layd aside even the same that influenced Noahs building of the Ark and Abrahams forsaking of his country Many purpose and resolve against these weights but as without faith it is impossible to please God so to lay these weights aside 2dly Look well to thy faith which in this case I may say as the Apostle sayes in ane other case Eph. 6. thou art above all things to take to thee And in order to this I shall only press these three things 1. Take heed thy faith be not counterfite For 1st There is nothing keeps one further off from the truth of faith then the counterfite of it As the counterfite Religion Jeroboam set up as ane engyn to keep the ten trybs from the true Religion which was at Jerusalem So Sathan sets up in many a counterfite faith which keeps them from seeking after the truth of it Beside if thy faith be counterfite all is but counterfite thy prayer thy hope thy praises Thy laying aside of weights will be but a seeming act it is with our faith as with a mariage if a woman be not maried all her children are bastards therefore look well to it that thy faith be not counterfite Secondly Be training and excercising thy faith We use to walk upon the credit of the promises as one beginning to walk upon the ice when first they set their foot on ay fearing it crack under us and we fall in whereas as if there were a training of ourselves to excercise faith on the promises on things of dayly occurrence as to be acting it for our meat for our rest at night and see what account God gives of us in the moring for our health for our inward peace we should come the more easily on the credit and faith of the promise to lay aside weights that imped us in our race Thirdly Put forth acts of faith on Christ not only for justification but for sanctisying graces Usually all