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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
sense_n	faith_n	speak_v	word_n	4,670	5	4.7227	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A88089	Vindiciæ Christi, et obex errori Arminiano: = a plea for Christ, and obstrvction to the first passage, whereat the errors of Arminus steal into the hearts of men: shewing Christs satisfaction in his humiliation, to be the sole price of our redemption; and evidencing faith in that satisfaction, no instrumental cause of our justification in the fight of God, nor condition given us for life. Delivered in three sermons: by Richard Lewthwat Master of Arts, in Caius Colledge in Cambridge, at his Parish of Wigston in Norfolk.	Lewthwat, Richard.	1655 (1655)	Wing L1855; Thomason E480_6; ESTC R205317	30,584	39

hath decreed to give more and better good things so that see love in God is to give or to will and decree to give good things so then his premised I declare first from the Scriptures that t is evident That faith is no instrumental efficient cause of a real application of Christ as the cover of our sins from the sight of God as that whereby the holy spirit brings a sinner into the love and favour of God who was out of it till faith came into his heart and this I prove first from that of Ieremiah chap. the 31. ver 3. I have loved thee with an everlasting love love in God as before declared is nothing else but will purpose or decree in God of doing good or giving good things so that then the sense of the words is this first God did will purpose or decree good to them he there spake the good things there promised were it temporal deliverance as some or eternal Redemption as others what ever good thing it was yet God did will and decree it them with an everlasting will and decree The word Everlasting must be a little cleared and then the place is most full for our purpose A thing is said to be everlasting especially three severall wayes First when a thing is to continue a long time though not for ever as Leviticus the 16. ver the 34. this shall be an everlasting statute Secondly when it shall never have end though it had beginning as the future glory of the elect and the misery of the reprobate as Mat. 25. ver 46. Thirdly a thing is said to be everlasting when without beginning or ending as God To be King everlasting In this last acception and respect Wilson saith that the purpose and pleasure of God to save the elect them that shall possess eternal glory through Christ is said to be eternal or everlasting which will be evident if ye consult with Eph. the 3. ver 11. or with my last text in the second Epistle to Tim. chap. the 1. ver 9. and indeed we may justly say that both love and hatred in God that is his purpose will or intendment of mans evil as also of his good and that of both sorts either temporal or eternal are everlasting or eternal especially as being without beginning in God For t is impossible yea inconsistent with the nature of God as described in the Scriptures that any purpose will or intendment in God of either evil or good to us should take beginning in God in time and not be coeternal with his being So that the meaning there is this God declared love there to Israel being nothing else but his will or purpose that they should be redeemed through Christ from death to glory I say the meaning is this that God willed or decreed to them he there spake the good and happiness of their Redemption with an everlasting will or decree that is with a will or purpose coeternal with the being of God not adventitious or coming to him in time which thing being granted t is not possible for faith to have any hand as an instrumentall cause of Gods spirit so to apply Christ to us as that then our pollution should become hid from God which were before open to him should then bring us into the love of God who before were in his hatred the reason is because to make faith an instrumental cause of Gods favour or will to save is to make the cause infinitely coming after its effect in time what greater absurdity ever heard of Again that faith is no instrumental efficient cause of applying Christ as the cover of our sins from the sight of God c. as before t is evident from that of Ezekiel chap. the 16. ver 6. 8. if ye look upon the contents of the five first verses of this chapter ye shall see that in the opinion of the Translators of the bible appointed to the work as I presume by King Iames under the similitude of a wretched Infant was shewed the natural state of Jerusalem that is as I presume under favour how spiritually polluted they the elect were in themselves and in respect to their own personal and natural condition now at the 6. and 8. verses the Prophet shews what they were then in respect to Gods will and fight through the satisfaction of Christ even whilest in that natural condition before spiritualized or indued with faith and that was pronounced just through Christ the sentence of eternal life was then gone forth for them from the mouth of Gods decree verse 6. when I passed by thee and saw thee polluted in thine own blood I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood live c. Again God looked upon them as in Christ and redeemed by Christ whilest in their natural condition before the faith of Christ was in their hearts for ver 8. it was the time of love of Gods loving them in his Son and therefore also impossible if this place be rightly expounded that faith should be any instrumentall cause of applying Christ to a soul as the cover of its sins from the sight of God as being that whereby the spirit brings a sinner into the favour of God who was in his hatred till then the reason is the former because to make faith an instrumental cause of Gods favour or will to save is to make the cause infinitely coming after its effect in time and so fully opposite to Ezekiel I le alleadge but one place more for this purpose and I have done and it is that of Saint Paul Rom. the 4. chap. ver 5. But to him that worketh not but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly his faith is counted to him for righteousness Hence I may infer two things the latter comes home to the present purpose the first is Gods acceptance and approbation of our faith his delight or pleasure that we should rest alone upon him and his Christ for our salvation so accounting our eternal redemption to be of grace or favour not of due or debt because of any thing done or performed or to be done or to be performed by us his faith sales the Apostle is counted for righteousness cast your eyes once again upon the words but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly Me thinks from these words the spirit of God doth whisper as it were the time of Christs real satisfaction to the father for the elect and of the fathers acceptance of Christ in their stead that is the time when Christ is imputed and counted our righteousness and we beheld and looked upon by the father as interested in Christ to be benefited by Christ absolved from our sins because of Christ and that time of all this is a time before the income of grace yea of the grace of faith into our souls The Apostle saith plainly enough that he justifieth the ungodly that believeth on him that is on the father that justifieth that is

that for and because thereof we are just and justified in the sight of God absolutely perfectly and compleatly so as God or Divine Justice cannot except against us cannot charge a sin upon us cannot deny us our Redemption or salvation in this respect Christ Christ crucified is our righteousness not our faith in that Christ crucified In this respect in this proper sense we are not righteous in the sight of God for our faith sake but for Christs sake only the object of that faith This I take to be sound and good Divinity or doctrine this I take to be the opinion of the learned Doctor Potter at the time of taking his Degree when he affirmed that the act of faith as Abrahams here mentioned is not counted to us for righteousness in the proper sense this is also the opinion of Sharpius the Sco●th man he saith That the work of faith in us is to be considered two wayes either absolutely or relatively absolutely as it is such a work or a gift infused into us of God and a quality inherent or sticking in our hearts and in this sense it doth not justifie against that the Papists contend for as I may say doth not become or is not counted our justifying righteousness or that which acquits us or for which we are acquitted or discharged of our ●●s before God then secondly this faith is considered relatively as it applies and apprehends Christ and all his benefits and in this respect he saith we are said to be justified by faith with at the works of the Law with this caution yet he comes in yet so sayes he are we justified thereby as that t is so without ●aith it self as it is a work the reason he there renders for it is this because that faith doth not justifie for or because of its inexistency in being inherence merit or dignity thereof but onely by its instrumental efficiency or application * Onus f●d●i dupliciter conside atur primum ab●olute ut est tale opus Donum nobis à deo infusum qualitas inhaerens hoc sensu non justificat contra id quod volunt pontificii secundo relate ut Christum cum suis benesiciis apprchend●t applicat hoc sensu dicimur sola fide sine operibus junificari ita ut sine ipsa fide quatenus opus est justificemur quia non propter inexistentiam inhaerentiam meritum aut dignitatem sed tantum propter instrumentalem efficientium applicationem justificat Sharp symph Prophet Apost concil 142. So then I think I may conclude that the Apostle when he said that faith was counted to him for righteouness he did not mean it was counted to him for righteousness in a proper sense as God counts the undertakings and suffering of Christ to man for righteousness that is as the means or things by which for which or because of which he stands just perfect and quit from sin in his sight as that Justice cannot sentence him to death And my further reason for this is because the Scripture expresly saith that God hath saved man is at peace with man is satisfied hath his demands for our sins hath justified us that is hath pronounced us just hath absolved us from our sins even before we be indued with the blessed grace of faith it cannot be therefore that Abrahams faith should be counted to him for righteousness in that proper sense if he were righteous before cannot be said to justifie him or that he should be justified thereby in a proper sense if he were justified before but those things are as ye shall see more plainly afterward and now also if ye consult but with these places of Scripture my last text the second Epistle to Timothy chap. 1. ver 9 10. Col. the 1. ver 20. Isaiah chap. 53. almost in the whole especially ver 6. and part of the 11. and Romans the 4. ver 5. Well but then ye will say if Abrahams faith was not counted to him for righteousness in this sense and we be not justified by faith in this proper sense ye will say in what sense then why as to make further progress in my answer to the objection I say thus God accounts the grace of faith in us our righteousness faith may be said to be our righteousness before God in the Scripture but t is but improperly or in an improper sense and that two several wayes First in respect to Gods acceptance and approbation of it and Secondly in respect to its instrumentall efficiency in the comfortable application of Christ and all his benefits to a disconsolated soul in this life First God may be said to count the grace of faith in us our righteousness in respect to Gods acceptance and approbation of it in respect to his being pleased with it and with us for it in respect to Gods present or future testimony of that acceptance displaying it self either in the future augmentation or degree of glory or else in Gods present bounty goodness and kindness in temporal blessings following that our faith or blessed quality in this sense thus improperly ye shall see that not onely our faith but also our works are counted to us for righteousness in this sense Phineas his zeal to Gods glory or his speedy execution of Justice● was counted to him for righteousness Psalm 106. ver 30 31. Then stood up Phineas and executed lustice c. Give me leave to to gloss upon the words And that was counted to him What was counted why that was his zeal to Gods glory or his execution of death upon Zimry and Cosby for their sin this was counted to him for righteousness unto all Generations That is God gave such a testimony of his acceptation of that work of his being pleased with it by ending the plague upon it and for it and by ensuring the Priest-hood upon him and his that all that law the passages then and should read them after should look upon God as well pleased with the work should look upon the work as approved and accounted by God a righteous work In this improper sense that is in respect to Gods displaying his approbation and acceptance of that work of Phineas by the following mercy it is said to be counted to him for righteousness but not in the forementioned proper fense not as any thing tending or helping to his Redemption or salvation in the life to come One place more we have helping to this purpose and t is that of Iohn in his first Epistle chap. the 3. ver 22. whatsoever we ask we receive of him because we keep his commandments and do the things that are pleasing in his sight Look upon these words and the verse that follows and Iohn saith that not onely our faith but also our obedience is pleasing in his sight We must not think that these works in the judgement of Saint Iohn were pleasing unto God were looked upon or counted by God to us

for righteousness were pleasing to him in the forementioned proper sense that is as becoming like the pretious blood of Christ or with it the matter or means of our Redemption or freedom from the wrath of God due to us for our sins were this the sense of it then we must all back again to Popery attributing merit to our works ye a and destroy all the doctrine of Christ and his Apostles No they are pleasing in Gods sight or if ye will are accounted to us for righteousness in an improper sense as being acceptable to him as being his delight having here great reward being followed with all the bounty and kindness that God vouchsafes his beloved ones in this life with the abundance of blessings yea with spiritual with the comfortable hope and assurance of enjoying the future happiness purchased by Christ My brethren under favour if I should say that in this improper sense the Apostle meant Abrahams believing God to be counted to him for righteousness if I should say he meant there that it was the grace most pleasing and acceptable to God that it was the joy and delight of God I say if I should say thus I do not see how I should be injurious or detrimental to the purpose of Saint Paul whose main drift is in this Epistle and in most of the rest to take men off from resting upon legal performances in the least for Redemption and to set forth Christ the sole and all-sufficient salvation of man and so thereby to work in mans heart the grace of faith most eminently profitable and comfortable to him in this life and most transcendently pleasing to the father himself Sharpius in the forecited reconciliation glossing upon that of our Saviour Iohn the 6. ver 29. where he saith this is the work of God that ye believe on him whom he hath sent I say glossing upon those words and shewing in what respect faith may be there termed the work of God amongst other respect he saith it may be so called because t is the work that doth most especially please God and for that purpose he quotes the very place of Genesis quoted by Saint Paul which is in Gen. chap. the 15. ver 6. the words And he believed in the Lord and he counted it to him for righteousness So that see Sharpius gives the same gloss in effect upon the Apostle that I did last namely that t is not our righteousness properly but improperly t is the grace the work that is most pleasing and acceptable to him And indeed this esteem and valuation I do from my heart believe that the Lord makes of this grace of faith in us as is apparent First because t is faith that makes every work a man performs acceptable with God so Hebrews chap. the 11. ver 4. By faith Abel offered a more acceptable sacrifice then Cain if a work ariseth from any other principle then faith the cause of love which constrains us to obedience t is not possible for that work to get the least acceptance with God So Hebrews the 11. ver 6. Without faith it is impossible to please him So then seeing t is faith and that grace onely that makes our works pleasing unto God it must evidently follow that t is that that is most pleasing to him and holds the preheminency in his esteem Propter quod unumquodque tale illud magis tale Secondly this high valuation of faith by God is probable to me upon this consideration that Gods and Christs temporal blessings vonchsafed to men have been gained by nothing so much as by faith nay by a faith far inferiour to the faith in hand the faith of Christ I mean that faith which hath but given a man to rest and wait upon God and Christ as able to bring about the temporall blessings desired by them or promised them of God If we peruse the Scriptures we shall find that this kinde of faith never returned empty or unsatisfied by either God or Christ it ever sped as did the faith of the two blind men in Matthew chap. the 9. ver 30. who believing that Christ was able to cure them had their desire even their eyes opened See what watchful experence in David had found as to this purpose Psalm the 18. ver 30. He is a buckler to all those that trust in him Faith and trust in Gods power never wants defence so pleasing to God is this inferiour kinde of faith seeing then this faith is so pleasing to God I cannot but see the other faith that which gives a man to rest upon God and Christ for salvation to be of most high esteem with him for mark it duely prizeth and valueth the blood of Christ it infinitely declares the honour and glory of God and Christ it speaks them infinitely and incomprehensively loving good just powerful merciful the attributes of Gods delight and honour so that though I denyed Abrahams faith to be counted to him for Righteousness in a proper sense yet improperly it might be termed his righteousness and that first in this respect as being the work the grace that is most pleasing unto God and making us acceptable to him in our obedience Thus much dear brethren I dare speak for faith and attribute to it further as to the present distinction and consideration of Gods counting Abrahams saith his righteousness or our faith ours no man ought to go not a right principled Christian indued with the fear of God but would tremble to value faith above this to value it mans righteousness in a proper sense But then again Secondly faith may be counted our righteousness may be said to be that which justifies us or by which we are justified in an improper sense and that in respect or out of consideration to its instrumental efficiency in the comfortable application of Christ and all his benefits to a soul in this life giving the soul here sure hope of a real possession of unspeakable glory in the world to come because of Christ In this respect we are said to be justified by faith without the deeds of the Law our faith and not our legal performances being the instrument or means whereby the spirit of God conveys the righteousness of Christ to our apprehensions and the hope of salvation therefore Out of this respect in a Metaphorical or metonimical expression we see in the Scriptures things often transferred or carried to what they do not properly belong in this respect we finde the doctrine concerning Christ stiled the word of life Phil. the 2. chap. ver 16. and the Gospel of our salvation Eph. the 1. ver 13. the word of life that is as I think not the word that worketh or causeth our eternal life but the word that manifesteth and discovereth to us where that our life lyes and by whom t is wrought effected and accomplished And so the Gospel of our salvation not the Gospel that worketh or bringeth about our salvation but that manifesteth to

us that our salvation and eternal life is purchased and brought about for us by Christ by his blood This my gloss on these words seems to me right and good thus expounded they being so consentaneous to other Scriptures as first that of Isaials speaking of the Ministers of the Gospel and quoted by Paul Romans the 10. chap. ver 15. How beautiful are the feet of them that bring glad tydings of good things He doth not say that bringeth good things save but by way of tydings by way of intelligence or as Isaiah from whence the Apostle hath it chap. the 52. v. 7. that publisheth these good things which he there calls peace one while salvation by and by now ye know that to publish is but to proclaim or make known abroad by way of voice or writing things past before as do the Ministers of the Gospel A most notable one we have for this purpose in the end of my last text the second Epistle to Timothy chap. the 1. ver 10. where the Apostle saith that Christ hath brought life and immortality to light through the Gospel He doth not say that the spirit hath brought life by the Gospel as if it had done that for us by the word of the Gospel was not done or accomplished for us before no he says he hath brought it to light that is he hath made it apparent and visible before us that was not so before Take the sum of this last in a word the doctrine concerning Christ is called the word of life the Gospel of salvation yea but life and salvation is transmitted to the word and Gospel but in a figurative speech but improperly that is as being manifested and made known to us by that word and Gospel that they are accomplished and wrought for us by the undertakings and performances of the Son of God not that they are thereby verily and really procured for us so in like manner our faith is said to justifie us or we are said to be justified thereby thus figuratively or improperly as being the means whereby tht spirit of God gives us sight assurance or hope of our future enjoyment of eternal life through Christ So then in a word to shew how far we are gone in the answer to the objection Abrahams believing God was counted to him for righteousness but not in a proper sense as being like the pretious blood of Christ for which we are redeemed from death but in an improper sense and that two several ways first in respect to Gods being highly pleased with that grace and with us for it And secondly in respect to its instrumental efficiency in the comfortable application of Christ and all his benefits to a disconsolated soul in this life And this being taken to be the extent of Gods counting Abrahams faith to him for righteousness or of our being justified by faith my doctrine and inference stand firm and unshaken and its this There is nothing in all the world but Christ but Christ crucified but Christs sufferings agonies and travels of his soul that was or is the matter means or price to God for our Redemption and salvation that was or is the condition of the Father with the Son for our eternal life Well but brethren as we are not to handle the word of God deceitfully so neither the glosses or opinions of men upon it I le therefore put the matter home Ye will say perhaps that Abrahams faith was counted to him for righteousness and we are justified by faith though not in the fore-mentioned proper sense yet in an improper sense though in another respect then I have yet mentioned and that is in respect to its instrumental efficiency in the real application of Christs righteousness to us as the cover of all our sins from the sight of God till which time ye will say as the holy spirit of God hath brought Christ to us and applied him to us by faith we are not looked upon by the father as just in his sight or before him not as justified by Christ not pardoned by the father not absolved by him from our sins not beloved of God for Christs sake in this respect ye will say our faith is counted our righteousness and we are justified by faith as being the instrumental means or cause whereby the Spirit of God covers and hides the polluted soul from the sight of God by the pure garments of Christs righteousness whereby it brings a sinner into the love and favour of God who was out of it till then and in his hatred In refelling and confuting the objection as last pressed and urged I suppose the Adversary will no more take the field with the former forces I confess I must now grapple with their faith as David with Goliah of the Philistines I cannot go against it begirt with any former armour composed by either preceding or contemporary fellow-labourers in the word of Christ I find nothing in all their works fits me for the combate I confess I find many like the second Son in our Saviours parable who to his father bidding him go labour said I go Sir but went not I meet with many laying down Gods Love Election Free grace Justification so absolute as if they would deny Faith any instrumental efficiency or any conditional means as to the procuring of our future glory but weigh their future progress there is no such matter so becoming false to their principles and to the trust reposed in them by God I therefore descend to the battel as David did namely with my staff in my hand the word of God and some smooth stones I mean reasons gathered out of the brook or clear fountain of Gods word Now that faith is no instrumental efficient cause of a real application of Christ as the cover of all our sins from the sight of God as that whereby the holy Spirit brings a sinner into the love and favour of God who was out of it and in the hatred of God til that grace of faith came into his soul t is evident first from Scriptures which affirm us justified and in the love of God before the income of faith into the heart Secondly because if it be so granted to faith as before mentioned comfortable and plain pla●es of the Scripture are destroyed yea and Gods own nature and being as described in the Scriptures is also destroyed I le to the work according to this platform and for the better success herein let me admonish ye that love in God as Dumouling saith is not an affection passion or desire in God for God cannot be touched by passions as being impassible and not subject to affections but as God is said then to be angry or to hate when he will punish or destroy so love in God is a certain and sure will of doing good to the creature whence it cometh to pass that he may rightly be said to be loved of God to whom he hath given or