Selected quad for the lemma: nature_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
nature_n	covenant_n	law_n	moral_a	3,209	5	10.1955	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A90278	Of the death of Christ, the price he paid, and the purchase he made. Or, the satisfaction, and merit of the death of Christ cleered, the universality of redemption thereby oppugned: and the doctrine concerning these things formerly delivered in a treatise against universal redemption vindicated from the exceptions, and objections of Mr Baxter. / By J. Owen, minister of the gospel.	Owen, John, 1616-1683.	1650 (1650)	Wing O783; Thomason E614_2; ESTC R206527	67,152	109

3 That as the making out of all spiritual blessings first purposed by the Father then purchased by the Son that they might be bestowed Condecently to divine Justice God hath reserved it to his own Sovereign disposal That it be done so that they for whom this whole Dispensation is appointed may really enjoy the Fruits of it is all that necessarily is included either in the Purpose or Purchase Hence it is that the discharge of the Debtor doth not immediately follow the Payment of the Debt by Christ not because that Payment is refusable but because in that very Covenant and Compact from whence it is that the Death of Christ is a Payment God reserveth to himself this Right and Liberty to discharge the Debtor when and how he pleaseth I mean as to Times and Seasons for otherwise the means of actual freedom is procured by that Payment though not considered meerly as a Payment which denotes only Satisfaction but as it had adjoyned Merit also Therefore that Principle much used and rested on by Mr Baxter in the Business of Satisfaction to obviate this very difficulty of a not immediate discharge if Christ paid the Debt viz. That the Satisfaction of Christ is a refusable Payment which he presseth Page 149 150. is neither true in it self nor accommodate to this difficulty 1 Not True For The Suffering of CHRIST may be Considered either 1 Absolutely as in it self abstracting from the Consideration of any Covenant or Compact thereabout and so it cannot be said to be a refusable Payment not because not refusable but because no Payment That any thing should have any such reference unto God as a Payment or Satisfaction whether refusable or otherwise is not from its self and its own nature but from the Constitution of God alone Between God and the Creature there is no Equality not so much as of Proportion Christ in Respect of his Humane Nature though United to the Deity is a Creature and so could not absolutly satisfie or merit any thing at the hand of God I mean with that kind of merit which ariseth from an absolute Proportion of things This Merit can be found only among Creatures and the Advancement of Christs Humanity takes it not out of that Number Neither in this sense can any Satisfaction be made to God for sin The Sinners own undergoing the Penalty neither is Satisfaction in the sense whereof we speak neither can it properly be said to be so at all no more then a thing to be done which is Endlessly in doing 2 It may be Considered with Reference unto Gods Constitution and Determinatiou Predestmating Christ unto that Work and appointing the Work by him to be accomplished to be satisfactory equaling by that Constitution the End and the Means And thus the Satisfaction of Christ in the Justice of God was not refusable the Wisdom Truth Justice and suitable Purpose of God being engaged to the Contrary 2 This distinction is not accommodate to this difficulty the sole Reason thereof being what was held out before of the Interest of Gods Sovereign Right to the bestowing of Purposed Purchased Promised Blessings as to Times and Seasons according to the free Councel of his own Will 3 Hence then it is That God in the Scripture upon the Death of Christ is said to be reconciled to be returned unto Peace with them for whom he so died the Enmity being slain and peace actually made Ephes. 2. 14 15 16. Collos. 1. 20. because he now will and may suitablely to his Justice Wisdome and Appointment make out unto them for whom the Atonement was made all fruits of Love Peace and Amity Heb. 2. 17. Rom. 5. 10 11. 2 Cor. 5. 19. The OBJECTION unto this How then can God deny us the present Possession of Heaven used by Mr Baxter Page 157. is not of any force the whole disposal of these Things being left to his own pleasure And this is the SCHEME which upon the Death of CHRIST we assigne unto God He is atoned appeased actually reconciled at peace with those for whom Christ died and in due time for his sake will bestow upon them all the Fruits and Issues of Love and renewed Friendship This possibly may give some light into the immediate Effect of the DEATH of CHRIST which though I shall not purposely now handle yet Mr Baxter with much diligence having employed himself in the Investigation thereof I shall turn aside a little to Consider his ASSERTIONS in this Particular CAP. IX A Degression concerning the Immediate Effect of the Death of Christ IT is one of the greatest and noblest Questions in our Controverted Divinity What are the immediate Effects of Christs Death He that can rightly Answer this is a Divine indeed and by help of this may expedite most other Controversies about Redemption and Justification In a word The Effects of Redemption undertaken could not be upon a Subject not yet existent and so no Subject though it might be for them None but Adam and Eve were then Existent Yet as soon as we do Exist we receive benefit from it The suspending of the rigorous execution of the Sentence of the Law is the most observable immediate Effect of the Death of Christ which suspension is some kind of Deliverance from it Thus far Mr Baxter Thess. 9. Explicat pag. 67. There are scarce more lines then mistakes in this Discourse Some of them may be touched on 1 Effects are to be Considered with Respect to their Causes Causes are Real or Moral Real or Physical Causes produce their Effects immediately either Immediatione suppositi or Virtutis Unto them the subject must be Existent I speak not of creating power where the Act produceth its Object Moral Causes do never immediately acting their own Effects nor have any immediate influence into them There is between such Causes and their Effects the intervention of some 3d Thing previous to them both viz. Proportion Constitution Law Covenant which takes in the Cause and lets out the Effect And this for all Circumstances of where how when suitable to the limitations in them expressed or implyed with the Nature of the things themselves The Death of Christ is a Moral Cause in respect of all its Effects Whether those subjects on which it is to have its Effects be Existent or not Existent at the time of its performance is nothing at all considerable If it wrought Physically and Efficiently the Existence of the Subjects on which it were to work were requisite It is altogether in vain to enquire of the immediate Effects of Christs Death upon an Existent subject By the way That Adam and Eve only were Existent when Christ undertook the work of Redemption to me is not cleer no nor yet the following Assertion That as soon as we do Exist we receive Benefit by it taking benefit for a benefit actually collated as Mr Baxter doth not for a right to a benefit or the purpose of bestowing one which will Operate