Selected quad for the lemma: heaven_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
heaven_n	enter_v	righteousness_n	scribe_n	2,630	5	11.0710	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A93799	A holy life here, the only way to eternal life hereafter. Or, A discourse grounded on these words, The weapons of our warfare, &c. 2. Cor. 10. 4. Wherein among other things set down in a following index this truth is especially asserted; namely, that a holy life, or the habitual observing of the laws of Christ, is indispensably necessary to salvation. Whereunto is added an Appendix, laying open the common neglect of the said laws among Christians, and vindicating such necessity of observing them from those general exceptions that are wont to be made against it. By R.S. B.D.	Stanwix, Richard, 1608-1656.	1652 (1652)	Wing S5252; Thomason E1276_1; ESTC R210586	123,869	304

setting up as is pretended self-righteousness this tearm being rightly understood If we had indeed unallured by those vast and divine promises which Christ hath made and confirmed to us from God and unsollicited by those admirable perswasive arguments exhibited in his life death rising and exaltation rendred as wee were bound an exact and uniform obedience to the righteous laws of God we should so have had that which might be properly called self-righteousness as being on this supposall wrought out and from our selves though this righteousness so wrought being no more but out duty and homage for what we had already received could only of it self and separated from Gods free promise of rewarding it have given us this matter of glorying namely to challenge as of right thereby belonging to us an exemption from punishment but now that that obedience which we perform to the commands of God is of right to be reckond to owe its originall to the fore-alleged causes that is to those things said and done and transacted in and by Christ we having also lived and perhaps very long in many great and continued violations of the said commands before the divine force of the said things could have its effect upon us as that righteousness which we thus exhibit by our performance of those commands is in regard of our former unrighteousness going before far from such a righteousness as may afford us occasion of the former glorying that is to exempt us from all punishment by the vertue of it so it is to be acknowledged for whatsoever perfection it hath to be derived to and wrought in us by Christ he being by the foresaid means the authour and procurer thereof in us and therefore it is not to be called our own or self-righteousness Phil. 3. but as the Scripture stiles it the righteousness of Christ or rather which is through the faith of Christ springing in us from him as the fountain and cause of it And hereupon the Apostle sayes that Christ is made unto us righteousness namely 1 Cor. 1.30 in the same manner as he is made to us wisdom and sanctification and redemption for all these are together affirmed of him that is so as to be the authour of that like as he is of these in us we having thorowly digested Christs doctrine in our selves become hereby truly righteous as we are thereby also truly or really and not only in esteem or imagination wise and sanctified and redeemed persons but in regard it is from Christ that we are so who in the former admirable manner and to himself chargeable way hath made us such persons all the glory of our being so is of right to be ascribed not to our selves but to him If any yet shall be so over-criticall as to call this righteousness notwithstanding it s thus proceeding from Christ because truly and personally in us and acted by us our own or self-righteousness though I may tell such a person that the Scripture with which sure it cannot but be fittest and safest to speak in divine matters owns not the word in this notion nor truly affords any ground for so understanding it yet being not willing to contest with any about words I shall consent that for the alleged causes it may logically enough be called so but then I must adde withall that as such a self-righteousness for the fore-mentiond reasons yields no true ground of glorying to us or of challenging any thing of God by the merit of it so it is an indispensable condition on our part without which heaven cannot be attained and this not to insist on former proofs our Saviour hath in effect expresly told us by saying Mat. 5.20 except your righteousness by which sure is meant a personall and inherent and so far a self-self-righteousness exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharises ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven and to this I shall only adde one proof more taken from the epithite or concrete appellation righteous The servants of God in Scripture are often called by this name 1 Pet. 4.18 and all that are designed for salvation are comprized under this title or denomination of righteous which tearm that it implies not any imaginary righteousness without us nor that which is only intentionally and so ineffectually within us but a ●call and solid righteousness truly existent in and acted by us St. John sufficiently informs us when he gives this description of it prefixing a caution that none draw us to think otherwise he that doth righteousness is righteous 1 John 3.7 by all which it may appear that as it is requisite for our attaining the kingdom of heaven that we be righteous so it is a like requisite that we actually doe righteousness that wee may be truly stiled with this title and so that a self-righteousness in this sense is necessarily required of us There are yet some other impressions I conceive to be supposed in the minds of many which so long as they remain cannot but proportionably hinder the digesting of that perswasion which it is my design to commend and they are such as we may imagin have been wrought especially by the force of two instances 1. The first is that passage in the beginning of the late Common Prayer Book At what time soever a sinner doth repent him of his sin from the bottom of his heart I will put all his wickedness out of my remembrance saith the Lord. 2. The example of the penitent thief To either of which being of common influence I shall endeavour to say somewhat which may be at once serviceable for stopping the ill use that is made of both and for further clearing and confirming the matter in hand 1. Touching the former though that book in respect of publike use be now disauthorized yet it is probable not only that some retain still a reverend esteem of it and of most things contained in it but also that that sentence is fresh still in the memories of most and so apt with some at least to keep them in this perswasion which seems to be the direct and naturall meaning of it that repentance or unfeigned grieving for sins past and a like intention of avoiding them for the future for this is that which most have been wont to understand by repentance at what time soever even though so late as there is not possibility of putting such intention into act will be acceptable with God for obtaining full remission of sins and so for salvation But I shall desire those who upon this ground are willing to be possessed with this perswassion for a sufficient consutation of it only to look into and seriously consider that place in Ezek from whence that sentence is pretended to be taken where the words are these Ezek. 18.21.22 If the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed and keep all my Statutes and doe that which is lawfull and right he shall surely live he shall not dye all

personall obedience to the lawes of Christ a thing unnecessary in this kind especially when as in this case through the cunning of the false angel of light it is pretended by such a sense and inference from it the honour of Christ may be thought to be better provided for he having hereby that glory at least implicity ascribed to him of saving us so perfectly by his own merits and righteousnesse as not to stand upon any thing to be performed by us But as I suppose all will grant there are some things so clearly affirmed in Scripture that if an angel from heaven should teach us the contrary wee were not to assent thereunto nor to suffer our selves to be drawn off the belief of the said things such as in this present matter are these positions without holinesse no man shall see God Heb. 12. Joh. 3. Math. 7. except a man be regenerate he cannot enter into the kingdome of heaven hee that hears Christs words and doth them not is like unto a foolish man c. so I answerably conceive if there be any opinion which either expressely or by it's naturall force and consequence shall contradict such things so affirmed or the plain meaning of the said positions making heaven truly possible to be come at without holinesse or being regenerate or doing of Christs words it is without scruple to bee rejected what ever numbers of adherents or prescription of time or seeming colour of some other parts of Scripture it may have for commending and upholding the credit of it It is most certain and so generally also acknowledged that the gospel the oracle of truth admits no reall contradictions betwixt any of the parts of it and it is I conceive or ought to be not much lesse certain that the true sense of the foresaid positions together with those other formes of speech to the same effect wherewith the Scripture plentifully abounds is no other but this which the words plainly and in their literall sense hold forth namely that our personall and actuall observing of the words or commands of Christ is precisely requisite to constitute us heirs of salvation or which comes all to one that without holinesse and our being regenerate persons which implyes a reall and universall change of of our courses and affections the kingdom of heaven is not to be attained Now who sees not that if there be any other expressions of the said Scripture as some few I acknowledge there are that may in themselves seem capable of a contrary sense that is so as to afford and allow men hopes of salvation upon easier tearmes than doing of Christs words or having such an effectuall change wrought in themselves who may not see hence I say that there is a necessity of understanding the said expressions in another sense than that which shall evidently contradict the plain meaning of the foresaid plain and plentifull assertions should not the fewer places as in this matter they certainly are be rather brought to a conformity with the more than the more be bended to the fewer especially when as in this case it will be found the sense of the more considered singly and with reference to one another is plain and rationall and easy to be apprehended but being reduced to that which is the seeming or supposed sense of the fewer becomes irrationall or intricate should not the plain and frequent expressions of Scripture on this subject rather make us considently hold that our own personall performance of those things commanded us by Christ is indispensably necessary for attaining of salvation than some dark and figurative formes of speech incline us to hold the contrary and make us promise our selves heaven without such performance upon I know not what groundlesse reliance on Christs merits surely in reason it should be so and so it would be I doubt not in this case but for the forementiond cause namely that men being willing to come to heaven with as much ease as may be are easily tempted to believe the easiest way thither to be the best and therefore through the devills cunning are soon perswaded to take more notice and more stifly insist on one text seemingly making that way than on twenty other implying the contrary As for that which is pretended that this way of pressing obedience to Christs lawes or requiring our own personall performances as necessary to salvation is that which tends to dishonour Christ and makes for the exalting of our selves and setting up that which some call self-righteousnesse This I say is a very groundlesse pretence and if thorowly looked into will appear to be but a plausible artifice of the great impostour not of strength sufficient to deceive any but those that are in effect willing to be deluded by it for doth not our Saviour himself plainly enough tell us that this indeed onely is the way whereby wee can truly honour him and that all verball professions and magnifyings of him with high titles separated from the former performances are but empty formalities which he regards not as where he saith not they that say unto me Math. 7.21 Lord Lord that is as if he had said not those that give him specious and honourable titles by telling him or it may be telling it to others that they will account him their perfect Saviour that his merits and righteousnesse they will wholly look and rely upon and not have any respect to what is in or done by themselves shall enter into the kingdome of heaven but they that doe the will of my father that is in heaven and so likewise where he tells his disciples and in them us Joh. 15.8 that herein is his Father glorified if we bring forth much fruit Ver. 9. and that by keeping his commandements we can only abide in his love the keeping of those being that wherein St. 1 John 5.3 John makes the love of God from whence only our honouring of him can proceed truly to consist By thus doing we give Christ that honour which belongs to him as our Lord and King in regarding and submitting our selves to his laws we give him also hereby that honour which belongs to him as our purchaser and redeemer in limiting our selves to his service he having for this purpose by the expence of his blood bought us or done that which is sufficient for so buying us out of our former servitude to sin and lastly we give him hereby that honour which is due to him as the Apostle of our profession Heb. 3.1 or as that great prophet and ambassadour immediatly sent from God to reveal and promise us that eternall life 1 John 1.2 which was before with the Father that is hid in his decree by shewing our selves hereupon so undoubtedly to believe this as to prefer the expectation of it before all our present interests and worldly concernments which thing by our keeping of his words we must needs and can only so show Neither is there any danger hereby of