Selected quad for the lemma: scripture_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
scripture_n	believe_v	faith_n	justification_n	3,844	5	9.3520	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A92854	The humbled sinner resolved what he should do to be saved. Or Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ the only way of salvation for sensible sinners. Discovering the quality, object, acts, seat, subject, inseparable concomitants and degrees of justifying faith. The agreement and difference of a strong and weak faith; the difficulty of beleeving, the facility of mistake about it, and the misery of unbelief. The nature of living by faith, and the improvement of it to a full assurance. Wherein several cases are resolved, and objections answered. / By Obadiah Sedgwick, Batchelour in Divinity and late minister of the Gospel in Covent Garden.	Sedgwick, Obadiah, 1600?-1658.	1657 (1657)	Wing S2375; Thomason E900_1; ESTC R203520	234,690	315

the inward frame of the heart but an action changing the great estimation of the person as when one of a bond-man is made free this alters the state but not the nature of the person when a gilty person is pardoned by his Prince this alters not his nature but it doth alter his condition he is now in the state of life who before was in the state of death So is it in justification it is such an action which alters the state that is the man who is in the state of wrath and condemnation being justified is now acquitted and so passed into the state of life and salvation A man who before was guilty of sin and damnation the same man remaining a sinner in himself and in himself worthy of damnation is in his justification absolved from the gilt of sin and accepted as righteous in Christ and is passed into the state of salvation We deny not but the blood and the water goes together that is whom God justifieth by the blood of Christ him also he sanctifieth and washeth by the Spirit of Christ but the action of the blood is one thing and the action of the water is another thing The light and heat in the fire go together yet the action of light is not the action of heat So here The action of the blood is a justifying action and this is without us yet for us and of us The action of the water is a sanctifying action and this is for us and in us too SECT III. THe person justified is a believing sinner the Apostle is clear Rom. 4. 5. To him that believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly his faith is counted for righteousnesse There is great dispute which is first of Faith or Justification to me now it seemes a fruitlesse trouble to molest our selves with priorities in this kinde I conceive we may distinguish 'twixt the purchase of our Justification which was long ago in the blood of Christ He was a Lamb slaine long since for to merit the remission of sinnes neither doth he now begin his merit who hath heretofore performed it Secondly 'twixt the imputation of that purchase It is true whiles I am an unbelieving person my justification is already as a purchase but untill I believe God imputes it not unto me My meaning is this there is a righteousnesse of Christ which hath deserved pardon of sinne before ever I believe nay be before ever I was borne but God imputes this over to me when I believe as soon as ever I take Christ by faith God imputes the righteousnesse of Christ unto me and will not impute my sinnes to me And Scripture is open enough for this we reading so constantly in the New-Testament for men to come in and believe that they may have remission of sinnes in the blood of Christ and through him also eternal life I only propound this scruple whether faith be to deale with the person of Christ first or with his benefits first Surely we say with his person and then with his portion well then if faith deales with the person of Christ immediately then it appears that a man must believe and so be justified forasmuch as justification is an action of God imputing the righteousnesse of Christ and not imputing sin which are the generall benefits as I may so speak of Christ It is not handsome to conceive that God should first pardon me and then I believe or that I should have the righteousnesse of Christ before I have Christ himself which must be if there be a priority of justification before faith For my part I conjecture that they are Semultaneous things that is they go both together If yet any men will be acute let them be so The perill is little on either side so that I have faith and then am justified or so that I am justified and then have faith or so that I have faith to be justified will in the substance and event redound all to one SECT IV. REmission of sinnes belong to justification that is when God justifieth the person he doth absolve or forgive him his sins There be in sin two things One is the staine pollution defilement of it and corrupt inclination Two things in sin with this Justification deales not but Sanctification Another is the gilt and punishment and with this doth Justification deal Suppose you saw a sick thief there are two sorts of persons to deal with him a Physitian because he is sick and a Judge because he is a thief If the Judge acquit or pardon him this clears him as a thief and guilty person if the Physitian heal and cure him this respects him as a sick and diseased person the case is our own Now I say that God in justification remits or absolves the sinner Two things are here considerable First quid secondly quousque Remission what First quid what this remission is I answer it is an exempting of the sinner from guilt redounding to punishment If any man sin guilt cleaves universally to the sin but then in Justification it shall not be imputed it shall be taken away in respect of efficacy and redundancy Suppose a person areigned and cast for a murder and the King graciously steps in and pardons him though this pardon makes not the murder formally to be no murder and though it makes not the murder now meritoriously deadly yet it doth hold off the efficacy of that gilt that now it shall not prove death to this person because he pardons him So in Justification where God pardons the sinner he doth not make sinne to be no sinne or that there should not be any natural condemnability in sinne but that it shall not effectually redound to the death and damnation and hell of the person whom he hath acquitted for Christ Secondly quousque How farre remission of sinnes extend in Justification There is a twofold remission A twofold remission One particular which is circumscribed to some particular facts and is ordinary in the Courts of humane Princes who limit and restreine their discharges of offenders Another universall which reacheth to the whole estate of gilt now this I take as sure that whomsoever God justifieth he will forgive unto him all his sinnes All his sinnes Jer. 33. ● before conversion and all his sinnes after conversion But whither this forgiving of all be once for all simul semel as they speak I am not able to speak my thoughts fully It is true I confesse and embrace that opinion that justification is not a divided act it is not repeated over and over and over but it is one act only but whither it be one transient act as if all were dashed out with a pen or whither it be one continued act is very disputable The Scripture leanes much to this latter and therefore describes God to be a God forgiving iniquity transgression and sinnes importing a course of pardoning and not a momentany act Againe it is hard

from gilt and condemnation And thus is it for ought I can learn altogether used and sensed in the Scriptures which speak of our justification before God viz. for such an action of God whereby after the manner of a Judge he absolveth and acquitteth an accused person Rom. 8. 33. Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect it is God that justifieth verse 34. Who is he that condemneth where you have a manifest Antithesis or opposition 'twixt justification and condemnation now as condemnation is an action of the Judge a sentence of his pronouncing the person gilty and obnoxious so justification being contrary to it must import an action or sentence acquitting and absolving Yea and again as condemnation most improperly and abusively must be interpreted if we expound it to be a making of a man so and so sinful by infusion so is justification unrightly conceited when men make it to be a making of a person just by infusion of holinesse It is observed that in this kinde of justification viz. which is judicial There are foure persons as it were First the Agent One who begins the suit accuseth layeth such and such things to the charge of another the Apostle said it Rom. 8. 33. Who shall lay any thing to the charge c. Secondly the Patient the person accused and charged with default and offence and gilt Thirdly the Advocate who endeavours to vindicate the party so charged from the accusation either by declaring the innocency of the person or impleading satisfaction Fourthly the Judge who in justification of that person gives sentence for the person accused according to the valid plea of the Advocate and so absolveth him It is thus in the point of our justification there is Satan accusing and something else There is man accused of sinne and gilt there is Christ interposing and pleading as an advocate by his blood and righteousnesse and there is God as a Judge for Christs sake acquitting and absolving and pronouncing righteous and accepting to everlasting life So then the proper and punctual acception of the word justification is not according to infusion but according to absolution and pronunciation It is not Physical as when a man is made whole but it is judicial as when a man is cleared at the bar He that justifieth the wicked and he that condemneth the just they are both an abomination to the Lord Proverbs 17. 15. There is the word againe Not I trust to be expounded by way of infusion that is he who makes a wicked man a good man by impression of righteousnesse is an abomination to God but it is to be expounded by way of judiciary sentence that is he who pronounceth of a wicked man in the Court of Justice as if he were just and reputes him as so and accepts him as so This man is an abomination to the Lord. Now take one distinction and then I will to the nature of Justification There is a twofold Justification A twofold Justification One of the cause and this is a particular kinde of acquittance touching such and such things which are laid to a person perhaps sometimes very unjustly Secondly another of the person when he is throughly purged and absolved now in this respect we speak of justification which I think for the nature of it may be thus defined SECT II. JVstification of a sinner it is a gracious and just action of God whereby he imputing the righteousnesse of Christ to a believing sinner absolveth or acquitteth him from his sins and accepteth of him as righteous in Christ and as an heire of eternal life There are diverse things considerable in this description 3. Things in this description First Justification immediately belongs to God it is his action It is God that justifieth saith the Apostle Rom. 8. 33. And who can forgive sins but God only Luk. 5. 21. We well distinguish 'twixt officia and beneficia 'twixt duties and 'twixt blessings duties belong to us but blessings belong to God It is God who is offended and therefore condemnation and absolution belong to him to the Judge not to any other hence saith the Apostle God was in Christ reconciling the world to himselfe 2 Cor. 5. 19. not imputing their sin You do well to distinguish of the causes of our Justification There is first the prime cause the Author and this is God the Father who gave his only begotten Son for us and set him forth to be a propitiation for sinne through faith in his blood that all who do believe in him should be justified Rom. 3. 25. And who is the Judge absolving all that believe and pronouncing them just in Christ Secondly The meritorious cause so the Son of God our Mediator is said to justifie us both as our surety in paying our debt and laying down the full price of our redemption Isai 53. 11. thereby affording unto us the matter and merit of our Justification and as our Intercessor and Advocate pleading effectually for us that his merits may be imputed to us Hence is it Isai 53. 11. My righteous servant shall justifie many God the Father justifies as a Judge by way of prime authority and God the Son justifies as a Mediator The Son justifies as a surety paying our debt and giving satisfaction to the Father for us to the utmost and the Father justifieth us as a Creditor fully accepting of that price and satisfaction Thirdly The applying cause and thus the Holy Ghost may be said to justifie in asmuch as he conjoynes Christ and the soul by faith together whence ariseth a participation of the righteousnesse of Christ and the pardon of sin by him Once more distinguish of justification it may be taken two wayes either actively as a judiciary sentence absolving acquitting c. and so we say God justifieth Or Passively as a thing apprehended and rested on and so we say that Faith justifieth not as if faith did acquit but as it takes and receiveth the acquittance not as if faith did impute a righteousnesse but because it receiveth and resteth on the righteousnesse of Christ by God imputed to us now when we say that justification is an Action of God it is meet for you to understand somewhat of the kinde of this action For the actions of God are of different sorts Some which are produced within us and make a reall alteration 2. Sorts of actions and change in the soul of man thus sanctification is an action of God that is such an action of God as is altering the inward frame and qualities of the soul of unholy making them holy of unbelieving making them believing of hard making them soft of earthly making them heavenly c. Others are wrought for us but not in us and though they import a change of the condition and state of the person yet properly and formally they imprint no change in the inward disposition And thus Justification is an action of God not an action changing

at the Pool and so will weak faith it will be at the meanes of strength It loves to be doing about Christ and to be where the strength of Christ is revealed It is wise to observe the grounds of its fears and doubtings and carefull to remove them O how earnest is the weak believer to heare what God will speak unto him and if at any time the soul can get by the assistance of the Word to close with mercy and Christ it is revived with joy of tears and falls down with thanks Lord what is thy servant Nay if it hath apprehended but a hint but a crevise if it be enabled but a little to step above its dark doubtings to apprehend but a darting beame any perswasion that all is well or will be so it is refreshed and saith that God is good I observe that the weak childe will be much after the breasts and the weak man will handle his staffe much and the weak believer will be much at the places and ordinances and wayes of more strength It is with faith as it is with a blade of corn at the first the eare of graine is quite skinned over yet it breaks open aside and at length is the very top of the stalk So faith at first is swathed over with doubtings none but a tender and merciful God can see that little mustard-seed but at length it opens to more adherence on God and Christ and promises and in time it can triumph against its former feares and suspitions Or it is like a weak man recovering if he can but stand it s well then if he can set on in a few paces with his staff then if his motion can be single then if longer then if stronger so is it with faith if it can make the soul to look upon Christ then if it could look on him as mine then if so without fear then if so with joy then if so with strength and stedfastnesse It will not rest in weakness though it begins in weakness but like the weak Ivie which is winding up the tree so will faith be winding up the soul higher and higher into Christ by the help of his Spirit of his Promises of his Word and of his Sacraments 5. Weak faith will yet venture the soul upon Christ though it cannot cleare its title nor answer its feares nor to it s own sense rely on Christ yet if the soul be put and determined to one of these either to renounce all hope in Christ and so to be lost or to put it self upon Christ though it hath no inward encouragement from it self I say at such a time even weak faith will discover it self it will not renounce its hidden interest in Christ but will roule the soul on him If I perish I perish yet I will cleave to Christ yet I will cast my soul on him and on his blood and righteousnesse SECT VI. THe third general which we observed to the former scruple 6. The concordance of all faith in foure things was the concordance of all faith which is true whether strong or weak in fundamentall comforts First every believer hath a sure interest in Christ It is with the members of Christ as with the members of the body though they are not all of equall strength in a comparison one with the other yet they are of equall conjunction in a relation of all of them to the head So one believer exceeds another in a special measure of faith yet every believer is a member firmly and surly knit to Christ the head of all believers Christ is not the Saviour and Lord only of the strong but also of the weak not only the old man nor only the young man but also the children the little children to whom Saint John wrote they are all in Christ 1 Joh. 2. There is a wide difference 'twixt reflexive certainty and 'twixt real certainty of interest strong faith hath the pre-eminence of weak faith in respect of a reflexive and sensible certainty but not in respect of a reall certainty this is univocal the union 'twixt Christ and the soul doth not depend upon the strength but upon the truth of faith If my will consents unto Christ if my heart accepts of him upon his own tearmes if I take his whole person and his whole condition the match is truly made 'twixt Christ and me he is surely mine and I am surely his Although I am not in an assured condition yet I am in a sure union Christ doth certainly own that soul which by faith doth truly embrace him All mine are thine and thine are mine saith Christ Joh. 17. 10. He speaks of the Disciples and of all the Elect who were the fathers in respect of a gracious election and gift and Christs in respect of a tender affection and union So that here is one concordance of all faith in respect of fundamentall comfort viz. that the objective unity is one and common the weak and the strong eye meet in the same colours as the object and weak and strong faith are two different hands yet both of them upon one and the same Christ Secondly every believer hath a beneficial interest in Christ that i● weak faith hath an interest in the benefits of Christ as well as the strong faith I will instance in some special and choise benefits First Redemption from the Malediction of the Law Christ took that off He was made a curse for all that believe on him He did not stand in the room only of eminent but of every believer and endured the wrath to the utmost for every one who doth believe on him Thou art freed from a cursed estate by the least faith every degree of true faith makes the condition to be a state of life and passeth us from death and condemnation There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus Rom. 8. 1. Secondly Remission of sinnes what Christ said to that impotent person Sonne be of good cheer thy sinnes are forgiven thee that is true of every beleever Christ hath purchased a pardon for him Acts 13. 38. Be it known unto you men and brethren that through this man is preached unto you the forgivenesse of sinnes Ver. 39. And by him all that beleeve are justified c. If any believer went without his discharge then probable it is that the weakest should be he but the Scripture speaking of the weakest faith makes it an hand holding a pardon in it 1 John 2. 12. I write unto you little children because your sins are forgiven you for his names sake though children though little children yet pardoned children and mark it the cause of that pardon was common to them with the stronger men viz. for his Names sake a man is not pardoned for the strength of his faith nor debarred of it for the weaknesse of his faith but both th' one and the other enjoys it for his Names sake that is for Christs sake Nay observe it that