Selected quad for the lemma: nature_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
nature_n	humane_a	person_n	trinity_n	4,500	5	10.5435	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A33454	Methodus Evangelica, or, The gospel method of Gods saving sinners by Jesus Christ practically explained in XII propositions / by Abraham Clifford ; to which is prefixed a preface by Dr. Manton, and Rich. Baxter.	Clifford, Abraham.; Manton, Thomas, 1620-1677.; Baxter, Richard, 1615-1691.	1676 (1676)	Wing C4701; ESTC R23890	95,942	214

give a Bill of divorce to many of the grand Articles of our Faith But whether it be not exprest by such terms and phrases as do necessarily signifie and import all that which is essential to and is commonly meant and understood by the word Covenant For the proof of which two things we learn from the Scriptures before mentioned that are naked and open to every observan● eye First That Jesus Christ engageth in the behalf of those whom the Father had given to him to take their Nature to bear their Infirmities to be wounded for their transgressions and make his Soul an Offering for their sins c. And on the other hand that the Father thereupon promiseth to him by way of reward that he should see of the fruit of his soul and be satisfied that he would divide him a portion with the great and the spoil with the strong and that he would exalt him and make him head over all Principalities and Power and give him a Name above every Name that every knee should bow and every tongue confess him to the glory of God the Father c. And as upon this consideration he was comfortably supported under and joyfully triumphed over all his sufferings Heb. 12.2 So likewise having perfectly accomplish●● the work he undertook upon these terms he pleads it with his Father as the reason why he should be exalted and reassumed to Glory Joh. 17.4 5. And what can all this signifie less than what we commonly understand and express by the word Covenant And when the thing it self is so evidently declared in Scripture why should we scruple to call it by that name any more than we do to call that original sin which we derived from Adam or the Law given to him the natural Covenant or the union of the Divine and Humane Nature in the person of Christ the Hypostatical Union or the three Persons in the Godhead the Trinity or the Lords Supper a Sacrament c. which are words no where to be found in Scriprure Yet since the things themselves which ar● signified by them may be found there 't is thought sufficient to justifie the use of them I have the rather insisted upon this Argument because the confounding of these two Covenants this I mean of Redemption with that of the Gospel and making them but one which as will afterwards be made more fully to appear are vastly different and consequently to be distinguisht hath been the fundamental cause of those several Controversies and Mistakes that have been concerning the Gospel Covenant PROPOS IV. Of Christ's actual Satisfaction by his Obedience and Sufferings JEsus Christ according to the tenour of this Eternal Covenant did in time assume the Humane Nature and therein as Man's Surety actually do and perform all that the Law of Righteousness required at the hands of the guil●y Creature and consequently all that was any way requisite either to the repairing of his Fathers Honour or effecting the Creatures Redemption and Happiness Psal 40.6 7 8. God had for some while taken his Sons word and saved souls upon his single promise of making satisfaction in their behalf and in the interim accepted of typical Sacrifices and O●lations the blood of Bulls and Goats as daily memorials of what he expect●d from the hands of h●s own Son though not as things pleasing and acc●pt●ble in themselves Yea but now God will no longer admit of these Shadows or be satisfied with Bonds or Promises but requires the actual payment of the Debt and therefore now Christ comes according to his engagement to discharge it Then said I that is Christ Lo I come in the Volume of thy Book it is written of me I delight to do thy will O my God! And for the full accomplishment of this great Undertaking he cloaths his Divinity with the Humane Nature A body hast thou prepared me for so the Author to the Hebrews chap. 10.5 renders those words of the Psalmist ver 6. Mine ears hast thou digged as was before observed or as the Apostle expresseth it Gal. 4.4 He was made of a Woman made under the Law Yea and being found in fashion as a Man and in the form of a Servant subject to the Law of a Creature he also humbled himself and became obedient saith the same Apostle Phil. 2.8 and that not only in some more signal and momentous instances of Obedience but even to the least tittle and Iota commanded by the Law Math. 5.17 18. He fulfilled all Righteousness and he tells you it behov●d him so to do Mat. 3.5 Nor yet did he only thus render himself subject to the Commands of the Law and pay a perfect active obedience to them but he also undertook and suffered the most rigorous penalties that were therein threatned against sinners He was a man of sorrows and acquainted with our griefs He was wounded for our transgressions and bruised for our iniquities and the chastisement of our peace was upon him Esa 53.3 4 5. He was in all things tempted or afflicted even as we are tempted sin only excepted Heb. 4.15 He loved us and gave himself for us an Offering and a Sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour Ephes 5.2 He humbled himself and became obedient unto death even the death of the Cross Phil. 2.8 He was made sin for us who knew no sin c. 2 Cor. 4.18 19. Yea a Curse that we might be blessed Gal. 3.13 And all this that he might ransom our souls Math. 20.28 and propitiate God to sinners 1 Joh. 2.2 and vindicate his Fathers Authority Law and Justice his Truth and Holiness that he might consistent with his honour pardon the guilty Creature and reaccept him into favour Rom. 3.25 26. And thus Jesus Christ by his active and passive Obedience which here are not to be separate or distinguished since both were paid solely upon the sinners account finished the whole work which his Father gave him to do in order to Man's recovery Joh. 17.4 and so being made perfect through sufferings he became the Author of eternal salvation to all them that obey him Heb. 5.9 PROPOS V. Of the application of Christ's Merits to sinners THE saving fruits and benefits intended to sinners by the Obedience and Sufferings of Jesus Christ they do not actually and of necessity become theirs immediately upon the Satisfaction thereby given and the Purchase made in their behalf But before they can be admitted to any actual interest in or reap any comfortable advantage from either there is yet somewhat further on their part to be done and performed by them The Merits of Christ in dying for sinners do not necessarily save any but only as God the Father Son and Spirit shall think meet to communicate and dispense with the issues of them to the Vessels of Mercy For all that properly results from the satisfaction of Christ is only this that the grand obstacle which stood in the way of Mercy and obstructed its communications to

MAN being lapsed and fallen from God into a state of sin and misery beyond all possibility of recovery either by means of his own or the assistance of any created Power it then pleased Divine Goodness to take up thoughts not only to restore but to advance him to a more stable and transcendent felicity than that in and to which he was at first created This we have most emphatically represented in the Prophet by the resemblance of a new-born Infant cast out in the open field in its menstruous blood and uncleanness having neither hand to help nor eye to pity it Ezek. 16.3 4 5 c. These words I confess are spoken with a particular reference to the Primitive state of the Jews at which time they were Heathen and Idolaters being not yet called out of the World and brought into the Bond of the New Covenant But since they were then in no worse condition than the rest of the degenerate Sons of Men there being at first no distinction betwixt Jew and Gentile till Free Grace stept in and made the difference this Text commonly is and without any violence offered to it may be taken in a more large and extensive sense and so be applyed not only to the Sons of Heber the Jews but to the whole Seed of Adam Man universally considered When they and we and all Mankind lay wallowing in their blood and uncleanness then God passing by and beholding us in this miserable and forlorn condition he was pleased to make it a time of love Joh. 3.16 God so loved the World not only the Jews that he gave his only begotten Son c. At the same time when God passed by apostate Angels and left them in Chains of Eternal Darkness without relief he then casts his skirts over degenerate Man and covers his nakedness and in conclusion not only washeth him from his blood and pollution but anoints him with Oyl and cloaths him with broidered Work and sets a Crown of Glory upon his head and makes him by the Ornaments he at last puts upon him exceeding beautiful as the Prophets expression there is concerning the Jewish Nation to which I here allude PROPOS II. Of Man's recovery by Jesus Christ THAT this great Design of Man's Redemption might be carried on and effected in a way most agreeable to the just and righteous Nature of God and most for the honour and advancement of his Divine Perfections his Holiness Justice Truth Goodness c. as also that might lay the surest foundation for the Faith and Hopes of a guilty and despondent Creature God was pleased to send his only begotten Son Jesus Christ the second Person in the Deity to assume the Humane Nature that so he might become a fit Mediator and Surety for Man who by his obeying and suffering in his stead might make attonement and satisfaction for sin and propitiate God to Sinners This we have every where declared in Scripture as the only way and medium by which God designs to save degenerate Man Joh. 3.16 Esa 53.6 and 10. ver Gal. 4.4 5. Eph. 5.2 Gal. 3.13 2 Cor. 5.21 Math. 20.28 1 Tim. 2.6 1 Joh. 4.10 Rom. 3.24 25 26. From these several places 't is plainly evident that God being moved by his own essential Goodness did so far compassionate the case of fallen Man as to give his own Son to be a Ransom and Propitiation for their sins by being made under the Law and bearing the Curse and Penalties threatned by it thereby declaring to the world that he was a righteous God loving Righteousness and hating Iniquity as the Psalmist hath exprest it Psal 11.5.7 And thus God having made sufficient provision by the Obedience and Sufferings of his own Son that his Soveraign Authority over the Creature might be owned and the Equity and Goodness of his Law acknowledged and the Threatnings therein denounced fulfilled and his Holiness vindicated and his Hatred against sin and vindictive Justice upon offenders declared and Man for ever discouraged from sin by hopes of impunity This I say being effected by the undertaking of Jesus Christ the Son of God he may now freely pardon the guilty Creature and readmit him into his favour and advance him to the fruition of an Eternal Happiness and Glory without either offering any violence to his own Righteous Nature or weakning the order and foundations of his Government over the World or eclipsing the Glory of any of his sacred Attributes And as God hath hereby abundantly secured his own Honour so hath he also by the same means most effectually relieved the Creature against his guilty Fears and laid a sure and firm foundation for Faith and Hopes in his Mercy Man having sinned against God 't is impossible but the sense of his own guilt and danger should affect his Soul with amazing fears and jealousies especially when he should entertain any serious thoughts of the holy Nature of God his Majesty Power and Justice or of the strictness and severity of his Laws No sooner had Adam sinned but he runs away from God and seeks to hide himself from his presence I but when the guilty offender shall now be assured from the mouth of God himself that he hath found a Ransom and received full and abundant satisfaction at the hands of Jesus Christ his Surety for all that wrong that sin had done him so that now he may at the same time be merciful to the sinner and yet take full vengeance upon his sin or as the Apostle speaks to the same purpose that he may be just and yet the justifier of them that believe in Jesus Rom. 3.26 Yea that he may now reap as much Glory to himself in pardoning humble and repenting sinners as if he had executed the Curse and Penalties of his violated Law upon them When the sinner I say shall be well assured of this his despondent fears and jealous thoughts of God must needs vanish as Clouds and Darkness before the rising Sun and his Soul be quickened and encouraged to address it self with Faith and Confidence to the Throne of Grace for Pardon and Acceptance 1 Pet. 1.18.21 Heb. 4.15 16. For if God the only party offended and concerned will acquit the humble sinner who then shall condemn him as the Apostle argues Rom. 8.33 34. PROPOS III. Of the Covenant of Redemption THIS glorious Contrivance and Design for the recovery of fallen Man was transacted between God the Father and the Son by mutual stipulation and agreement The Father promising to his Son a rich recompence of reward upon his undertaking to satisfie for Man's offence by his death and sufferings and the Son likewise engaging to the Father upon these terms to make satisfaction And this is that which by Divines is now called the Covenant of Redemption to distinguish it from the Covenant of Grace or the New Covenant as most commonly stiled in Scripture made with Believers through Christ A distinction highly necessary and consequently not to be