Selected quad for the lemma: sin_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
sin_n	adam_n	imputation_n	impute_v	3,267	5	10.2753	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A43587	The sure mercies of David: or, a second part of Heart-treasure Wherein is contained the supream and substance of gospel-mercies purchased by Christ, and promised in the covenant of grace, together with the several ways how they are made and are to be improved for the saints fort and defence, settlement and incouragement in shaking and back-sliding times. Being the fruit of some meditations upon Isa. 55. 3. By O. Heywood an unprofitable minister of the gospel.; Heart-treasure. Part 2.	Heywood, Oliver, 1629-1702.	1670 (1670)	Wing H1775; ESTC R216795	143,081	284

questioned or denyed Well God hath his way and day to convince these wretched Atheists by real and unanswerable demonstrations so that all men shall say Verily there is a reward for the righteous verily he is a God that judgeth in the earth Psal 58.11 2. It notably confutes the Papists because all these good things of the Covenant are mercy not merit we are under a Covenant of Grace not of Works Dei miscricordia merita nostra the mercies of God are our merits We have cause to renounce our own righteousness alas what are our best works to obtain favour at the hands of God those before Conversion which they call meritorious de congruo are not truly good works wanting a Principle and those after Conversion which they call works of condignity these are not exactly good without the stain of imperfection and therefore cannot merit they hold two justifications according to these preparatories They acknowledged Christs Righteousness to be the only meritorious cause of this first justification i. e. he procureth the infusion of this grace all Papists assert roundly that man is justified per solum gratiam inhaerentem tanquàm per formam integram sine imputatione externae justitiae Christi Suarez l. 7. c. 7. p. 83. the first is when a sinner of an evil man is made a good man which is done by pardon of sin and infusion of inward righteousness i. e. the habit of Hope and Charity the second is when a man of a good man is made better and this say they may proceed from works of Grace because he which is righteous by the first justification can bring forth good works by merit whereof he is able to make himself more just and righteous but we assert that the very thing by which we are justified and accepted is only the mercy of God and the merits of Christs active and passive obedience which are imputed to us and received by faith alone and our obedience or performances cannot be satisfaction to Gods justice because they are imperfect and defective Isa 64.6 filthy rags a rag and cannot cover us and filthy therefore will rather defile than justifie us at the great day we must have something that can countervail the justice of God but Paul durst not appear in his own Righteousness but in Christs Phil 3.9 and how dare we Certainly Paul's Doctrine is an infallible truth of God Rom. 3.20 by the deeds of the Law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight And ver 24. being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ and though Papists deride imputed righteousness Yet 't is mentioned ten times in Rom. 4. and frequently asserted and proved through Paul's Epistles So 2 Cor. 5.21 as Christ was made sin for us so are we made the Righteousness of God in him now Christ was made sin for us no otherwayes than by God's imputing our sins to him for 't is Blasphemy to say Christ was sin by infusion of sin into him or inherency of sin in him Besides our justification comes to us as our condemnation which was not only by propagation but by the imputation of Adam's disobedience Rom. 5.19 all the mercies of the Covenant are to believers made over by a deed of gift indeed the wages of sin is death but eternal life is only the gift of God with all that leads thereunto Rom. 6.23 But however Papists may dispute in the Schools yet when they come to lye upon sick and death-beds they are glad to come off with Bellarmines tutissimum est it 's safest to rely only on the mercy of God and merits of Christ for justification let us still hold the safe way and leave them to their uncertain imperfect Righteousness Dr. Prideaux Lect. 5. De just fol. 64. But 't is easily discernable what is the reason of the Papists opposing free justification by grace only because it would demolish their Purgatory Masses for quick and dead Invocation of Saints Worshipping of Images Indulgences and their Treasures of Merits See this Doctrine stated and cleared in Durham on Rev. fol. 585 c Vid. fol. 590. to 594. Ipsa gloria Secundum totum suum esse ut ita dicam s●cundum substantiam tan ●●a● merces meritorum ●●mittitur Suarez lib. 12. cap. 28. page 222 223. hence a modern Divine hath laid down the grounds that render the Salvation of a Papist in a sort impossible and clears it in this about Justification and proves undeniably that their contrivance of the way of Justification doth overturn most if not all the truths of the Gospel and is utterly inconsistent with Gods way of saving sinners for it is the same for matter and form with the Covenant of works which they say Christ hath merited and strength anew to keep the same as Adam in innocency and now sinners are to stand and fall in the obtaining of life promised according to their own performing of the condition of works in the use of that first grace and by this they merit perseverance and Heaven and lest in-dwelling corruptions and defects in duties marr this they say concupiscence is not a sin against the Moral Law and there are many sins Venial and not Mortal which therefore do not hinder merit and acceptation alas what a new and Anti-evangelical way is this which confounds Justification and Sanctification derogates from the Nature of Grace enervateth the merit of Christ altereth the nature of the Gospel-covenant c. But I must not inlarge let us study this important subject and take heed of corrupting this Fountain or building on any other foundation besides Christ's sole righteousness 2. There 's another uncomfortable Doctrine of the Papists which is a denyal that a Christian can be assured of his interest in the Covenant and his eternal salvation We hold that a Christian may attain to assurance of faith without extraordinary Revelation they say a man may indeed attain to a conjectural certainty which only ariseth from hope in regard of God which promiseth but in regard of our selves and our indisposition so we are to be at uncertainties certainly a Child of God may not only be assured of Gods fidelity but his own sincerity these Mercies are Sure in respect of the Subject as well as the Object for the promises run in general and indefinite terms whosoever believeth shall be saved but I saith the soul truly believe therefore I shall be saved and this particular application and reflection is as much as if he said if thou John Thomas Peter do believe thou shalt be saved now though the heart be deceitful yet the Scripture hath laid down such Characters by which a man may try and discern the sincerity of his own act in closing with Christ for true believing is a receiving of him as he is offered to us in the Gospel Joh. 1.12 Besides the Saints receive the Spirit of Adoption which beareth witness with their spirits that

in Heaven but thee and then saith my flesh and my heart faileth but God is the strength of my heart and my portion for ever God is fitly called the Saints portion for he is so one Saints portion as if no ones else and yet intirely every ones as if wholly theirs as indeed he is yet without division partition or diminution That 's a notable passage in that Gospel-Covenant at least one part of it the mercy in it we are speaking of Gen. 15.1 fear not Abram I am thy Shield and thy exceeding great reward 1. Thy reward as if it were as indeed it is reward enough to have God if we have nothing else 2. A great reward worth speaking of Christus Coelum non patiuntu● hyperbole● not an inconsiderable trifle but a great reward 3. An exceeding great reward no hyperbole can reach it much less exceed it none can express the goodness of God but those that experience it nor can they sufficiently declare it but is he mine Psal 144.15 Yes 4. By this Covenant he is thy exceeding great reward Blessed are they that are in such a case Happy is that people whose God is the Lord. Thus I have shewed what God is 2. I shall a little shew what God gives and grants to the covenanted soul there are many rich benefits and advantages which are indeed rich Covenant-mercies 1. Pardon of sin Jer. 31.34 for I will forgive their iniquity and I will remember their sin no more and oh what a mercy is pardon of sin ask David when he is roaring under his broken bones and disquiet spirit whether pardon of sin be a mercy he will answer yes O yes I know it and could even envy the happiness of a pardoned sinner blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven Psal 32.1 2. yea many times blessed is he to whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity this is a mercy that cost a great rate even the blood of the immaculate Lamb of God 't is a mercy that God shews for his own sake a mercy that easeth the guilty soul of an heavy burden a mercy that hath sweet and satisfying concomitants Oh the riches of this mercy 2. Gods favour love and tender compassion Jer. 32.40 41. I will make an everlasting Covenant with them that I will not turn away from them to do them good Yea I will rejoyce over them to do them good q. d. now I am in Covenant with them I will seek and study by all means to promote their spiritual and eternal advantage yea and their temporal good also I will be a fast and faithful friend to them all my attributes shall contribute their assistance to help on the design of mercy towards them and what God doth for them is with his whole heart and with his whole soul he will in the relation of a Father take care of his Children and is not that a mercy 3. Gospel-Ordinances Ezek. 37.26 27. I will make a Covenant of peace with them and will set my Sanctuary in the midst of them for evermore my Tabernacle also shall be with them i. e. they shall have the means of Grace the visible tokens of Gods presence wayes of Communion with God and is not this a rich mercy David lookt upon it as so in his banishment from Gods house and every Child of God prizeth it at a very high rate this is one of the mercies of the Covenant 4. Seasonable afflictions with a sanctified use of them Psal 89.30 32 33. if his Children forsake my Law then will I visit their transgressions with the rod 't is infinite mercy that God will take the pains to whip the offending Children it is faithfulness to the great ends of the Covenant that God will fetch in his wandring sheep by sharpest means it is as it were a cruel mercy to let men alone in sin to hasten their ruine it is the Fathers care and kindness to chide and correct his son and it 's as needful as food and raiment a Child of God would rather be scourged to God than allured from God in the paths of honey and butter this Covenant-mercy doth change the nature of the affliction and makes every thing to work for the souls best God this bitter potion is an useful healing medicine this stinging Serpent is turned into an harmless nay helpful Rod with which the Lord works wonders of mercy upon and for the Covenanted soul But time would fail me to enumerate the large Catalogue of Covenant-mercies from this fountain stream those choice mercies of reconciliation with God filiation the spirit of adoption free admission to the Throne of Grace acceptance of their persons audience of their Prayers assurance of Gods love peace of Conscience communion of Saints the benefits of Christs Passion Resurrection Ascention Intercession an interest in all the Promises Christs purchases the spirits motions and comforts freedom from the wrath of God the curse of the Law and eternal death and lastly an interest in and at death a full possession of the inheritance of the Saints in light these and such like are the mercies of the Covenant in a word all the goodness that is in God and all the good things of the world that are communicable to the elect are to be accounted as the sure mercies of David That 's for the first general head CHAP. III. 2. IN what respects these mercies of the Covenant are made sure for this observe that there are some things absolutely and unchangeably sure as to their own nature by an intrinsecal necessity thus God immutable essence is fixed with him there is no variableness nor shadow of change thus though the Heavens perish yet God endures he is still the same and his years have no end Psal 102 24-27 thus God alone is the certain and unmoveable center of the whole Creation he is the Roc● of Ages originally infinitely and independently sure and so is nothing besides othe● things are sure jure positivo not of themselves but by vertue of Gods appointmen● and designation invariable irrevocable so as it shall not be altered otherwayes ordered no new way contrived to save los● man thus the Scriptures are sure for ever O Lord thy Word is setled in Heaven Psal 119.89 Mat. 5.18 and our Saviour saith till heaven and earth pass one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the Law till all be fulfilled and this way is the Covenant of Grace sure not of any intrinsecal necessity resulting from its nature but free to be or not to be as the infinite God sees good as a Covenant it depends meerly on Gods free-grace for making it God might have forborn re-entring this New Covenant but have dealt with man as with the lapsed Angels or he might have reserved to himself a power of revocation to have called in his patent and shut up his Office of mercy but now God hath fixed this as the only and everlasting way of Salvation thus this