Selected quad for the lemma: sin_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
sin_n	baptism_n	preach_v	remission_n	3,201	5	10.1727	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A49466	Remedy against trouble in a discourse on John XIV, 1 : wherein something is also briefly attempted for clearing the nature of faith, of justification, of the covenant of grace, assurance, the witness, seal and earnest of the spirit, and preparation for conversion, or the necessity of holiness / by H. Lukin.	Lukin, H. (Henry), 1628-1719.	1694 (1694)	Wing L3481; ESTC R13639	76,819	257

Gal. 2.16 from that of the Apostle Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but by the Faith of Jesus Christ we have believed in Jesus Christ that we might be justified So that Faith is in order to justification and the decree of justification doth no more infer our justification from Eternity than our glorification and tho there were a foundation laid for our justification in the Death of Christ so as it is certainly future Yet we are not actually justified till we believe but lie under the sentence of condemnation John 3.18 And whatever the value of Christ's Blood might he in respect of the dignity of his person who was God as well as Man yet his merit was not absolute but grounded upon an Act of Sovereignty transferring our guilt to Christ and his righteousness to us And upon the Covenant of Redemption as many call it betwixt the Father and Jesus Christ about the Salvation of sinners the sum of which we have Isa 53.10 God might appoint both terms and time of our participation of the benefits of Christ's Death and it is evident that our Salvation is for a long time deferred and the redemption of our bodies longer Why then should it seem strange to any that our justification should be deferred till we believe And for that of justifying the ungodly Rom. 4.5 it is true of those whom God doth justify in a strict sense for they cannot plead perfect Obedience But if we take ungodly in the ordinary sense wherein it is taken for an impenitent sinner it shews what those have been whom he justifies such they were in this sense it is said 1 Cor. 6.11 Matth. 11.5 Matth. 15.31 Matth. 21.31 the deaf hear and the lame walk the dumb speak the blind see Publicans and Harlots go into the kingdom of God and in that very place it is said their Faith is imputed to them for righteousness Which words we need not understand with the Papists as if Faith being a work John 6.29 That with other works were imputed for righteousness Nor with some Protestants by a Metonimy for Christ or his righteousness the object of our Faith nor with the Socinians that by Acceptilation as in the Civil Law it is called when some small thing is accepted instead of a Debt Faith is reckoned instead of perfect righteousness As for those Protestants that call Faith our Evangelical Righteousness as being that which the Gospel requires as the Law did perfect obedience they do not at all symbolize with the Socinians who do by their Acceptilation exclude the satisfaction of Christ for they hold a legal righteousness to be still necessary but lying wholly without us as being performed by Christ for us and so do not reckon Evangelical righteousness to be instead of that righteousness by or for which we are justified or any part of it but only a means of our being invested therewith But tho I would not as some do exagitate the Phrase or those that use it while they thus explain themselves for not to say with Jerome Sceteratum est minus Christianum est cum nonis sensum sanum esse alicujus ex verbis incommodè dictis statuere errorem yet it is not necessary to make use of it for the interpretation of this place there being another plain sense of it a thing is imputed to us when we are dealt with according thereto as I have already said So Faith is imputed to us when we are dealt with or treated as believers and it is imputed to us for righteousness though not instead of it or as the matter of it but as it is a means of it in any way whatever as it was said before we have believed that we might be justified As it is said John Preached the baptism of repentance for remission of sins Mark 1.4 or as Christ is said te be given for a Covenant of the People not that he might be a Covenant as some have rashly expounded it as if Christ in a strict literal sense must be all in all Isa 42 6. Whereas it was only that there might be a Covenant with the People he being the Surety or Mediatour of it So Faith is reckoned to us Heb. 7.22.9 15. that so we might be righteous or might be justified God having suspended our justification upon that And it doth result from thence by vertue of the Gospel Grant as our guilt doth result from our sin by vertue of the Law tho I would not be thought to ascribe the same causality to our Faith in justification that I do to sin in our Condemnation Now God is pleased to suspend our Justification and Salvation particularly upon our believing 1st That we may return to him by the same way whereby we departed from him Gen. 3.6 We fell from God by believing the Devil rather than God and we are recovered again by believing God rather than the Devil and setting to our seal that God is true Jo. 3.33 2dly God deals with us as with rational Creatures and will not force his favour upon us but will have us accept of it Jo. 1.12 Act. 8 37. and by Faith we receive Christ and his benefits and this is that believing with all the heart which is required when we do freely and heartily embrace that offer which is made to us in the Gospel 1 Tim. 1.15 Rom 4.16 accounting the Gospel worthy of all acceptation 3dly It is of Faith that it might be of Grace Faith receiving all from God as Love gives all to him so that thereby we give the whole glory of our Salvation to him Now I come to shew you what matter of comfort it is to have our Sins pardoned Our Saviour bids the sick of the Palsie be of good chear Matth. 9 2. because his sins were forgiven It is true as Diseases are not always cured when sins are pardoned For that saying that where sin is pardoned the punishment is remitted it doth not imply that all suffering is removed where sin is taken away but that what persons suffer after pardon of sin is not properly Penal in the sense of the Papists so as to make up what is behind of the sufferings of Christ to satisfy for our sin So neither is the removal of Diseases or other Afflictions an evidence of the pardon of sin but it is likely Christ speaks not here of Pardon of sin improperly so called or the removal only of Temporal punishment but of pardon in a strict sense and as when the King asked life God gave it him even length of days for ever and ever So Christ Psal 21.4 who doth exceeding abundantly above what we ask or think Eph. 3.20 when he desired cure for the disease of his body cured his Soul likewise which is a singular favour and matter of great comfort 1. It is a comfort in all our Afflictions It is true afflictions are in

that is ready to faint and may have a Cordial in his Closet yet if it be not at hand when he should use it he may fall into a swoon if he do not take it I will now shew more particularly how Faith is such an effectual remedy against trouble of mind and the chief reason thereof is Because thereby we have our sins pardoned As sin is the Sting of Death so it is also of every affliction therefore he is a Blessed man whose iniquities are forgiven Psalm 32.1 CHAP. III. NOw for the more full clearing of this Point I will first shew you what pardon of sin is 2. How this is obtained by Faith 3. How great a privilege and happiness it is Remission or forgiveness of sin is in its most ordinary sense freeing or exempting the sinner from the punishment of it and sometimes it hath respect only to the temporal punishment so God forgave the Israelites in the wilderness when he did not punish them Num. 14.19 So it is said God would not pardon the Innocent Blood which Manasses shed tho it is supposed the Eternal punishment of it was remitted 2 Kings 24.4 Matth. 6.14 Ephes 4.32 1 Kings 8.34 and 39.50 Amos 7.2 In this respect we must forgive each other in this sense we pray for the forgiveness of the sins of a Nation and no doubt in this sense those that are in a state of Grace may pray dayly for Pardon of sin Tho' I doubt not but men that are already justified may pray for the pardon of sin in the most proper sense as Christ by one Sacrifice perfecting for ever those that are sanctified Heb. 10.14 doth not prevent his intercession or make that unnecessary So neither doth our full discharge from the guilt of all our sins discharge us from praying daily for the forgiveness of them When we are in the fullest possession of the greatest abundance of the things of this Life we are to pray for our daily bread that is not only for the blessing and comfort but for the continuance of them So tho' our sins be pardoned when we first believe we may pray daily for the continuance of the vertue and efficacy of the Blood of Christ upon our consciences for the continuance of our peace with God But that remission of sins which we have by Jesus Christ is the discharging us from the eternal punishment and is the same thing in effect with justification Acts 13.38 39. In the former verse the Apostle saith Through Christ is preached forgiveness of sins in the latter that whoever believes on him is justified Not that justification and forgiveness of sins are the same thing in the precise notion of them but where many say that they are the same thing they only intend thereby to exclude that sense of the Word justifying in which the Papists sometimes take it viz. for making righteous by Renovation Sanctification or infusion of new habits But there may be justification where there is not Pardon of sin when a person is acquitted or declared free from that which he was suspected of or charged with So not only a righteous man may be justified but God himself Deut. 25.1 Luke 7.29 Rom 3.4 And as there may be justification without Pardon so Pardon without justification I do not mean that actually or de facto there is Pardon or a remission of the Eternal punishment of sin where there is not justification But we may conceive of a Pardon without justification as there are some that acknowledge a Pardon of sin merely out of mercy without respect to any satisfaction made to Divine Justice and tho the Scripture speaks more frequently of the justification of sinners than to have it denied yet they say that justification is only by a Metonomy taken for pronouncing a sinner just and dealing with him as if he were righteous freeing him from the guilt and punishment of sin and bestowing eternal life on him Whereas in the sense of the Scripture to justify is to acquit or discharge a sinner from the guilt and punishment of sin upon the Imputation of righteousness to him Rom. 4.6 But as we must not suppose that God only deals with us as if we were righteous which some suppose he might tho Christ should not be supposed to have died in our stead or have born our sin yea tho he had not died at all So on the other hand we must not imagine that God in imputing righteousness to sinners doth think or suppose that they have not sinned or have satisfied the Law for their sin Imputation doth not imply any such thing When Shimei desires that David would not impute iniquity to him 2 Sam. 19 19. we cannot suppose that he desires that he would think or make account that he had not done iniquity but that he would not charge it upon him or deal with him according to it and where it is said the Sacrifice of him that should be eaten on the third day should not be imputed to him Lev. 7.18 the meaning of it is that he should not have the benefit of it or be dealt with according thereto But to keep the true mean between these we must suppose that God deals thus with us not imputing our sins to us in consideration of what Christ hath done for us or in our stead Philem. 18. As where Paul allows Philemon to put Onesimus his wrong or debt for which it is like he might be put into the same Prison where Paul was on his account as he would not have him think that it was Paul and not Onesimus that had wronged him neither would he have him to punish it no more in Onesimus than if he had not done it but Paul But he tells him and gives it under his hand that he would repay it or satisfy him for it So God doth not only deal with us as if we were righteous in remitting our eternal punishment But he doth this in consideration of what Christ hath done and suffered for us He having laid upon him the iniquities of us all Isaiah 53.6 Gal. 3.13 And God having by his Soveraignty so far dispensed with his Law as to make Christ a curse for us he is now not only merciful and gracious 1 John 1.9 but faithful and just to forgive us our sins he having set him forth to be a propitiation for our sins to declare his righteousness that he might be just and a justifier of him that believes in Jesus Rom. 3.25 26. It is not only that he may be just tho' he justify sinners or that he may justify them saving his justice But it is just with God to justify or acquit sinners Christ having born our sins on the Cross 1 Pet 2.24 that we through his stripes might be healed I come now to shew how we are justified by Faith and that we are justified by Faith is evident beyond all contradiction

of Wrath by Nature subject to the Curse of the Law the Power of Satan and insupportable misery to all Eternity 2. We must believe assuredly that there is no way to be saved without receiving all the saving benefits of Christ his Spirit as well as his Merits Sanctification as well as Remission of Sins by Faith It being as he saith the ruin of many souls that they trust on Christ for the remission of Sins without any regard to Holiness when as these two benefits are inseparably joined in Christ He herein grants more than many will desire of him that men should assuredly believe this in the first Act of Faith 3. We must be fully perswaded of the all-sufficiency of Christ for the Salvation of our selves and all that believe on him 4. We are to be fully perswaded of the truth of the general Free-promise in our own particular case 5. We are to believe assuredly that it is the Will of God that we should believe in Christ and have Eternal Life by him as well as any other Now without the two former of these we shall not mind coming to Christ but shall make light of him without the others we shall have little encouragement to come to him Now if any shall enquire whether these things which are perpatory to our believing or coming to Christ be in our own power or are the effects of God's Grace in us and whether conversion do always follow thereupon I Answer There are some things as much in our own power as any of our natural or moral actions are that may have a tendency to our conversion and therefore the Prophet complains of Israel Hos 5.4 that they did not frame their doings to turn to the Lord. And there is a Sermon in the Morning Exercise Published in the Year 1661. ☜ reputed to be Mr. Greenhills who was a person far from the suspicion of ascribing too much to the power of Nature which resolves the question what persons must and can do towards their own conversion Now it is certain that men may as well go by their Natural power where the word is preached as to places of temptation And there they are within the call of the Gospel and so are as the impotent persons at the Pool of Bethesda Jo. 5.1 c. 1 Cor. 3.5 c. Rom. 10 17 Luk. 8.12 in a nearer capacity of cure if it please God by his Spirit to give increase to what is planted and watered for faith comes by hearing and therefore the Devil endeavours to divert our minds from what we hear lest we should believe and be saved We see further how much it is in man's power to bend his mind to the study of any particular subject we see it plainly not only in mens chusing in general the study of Law Physick or Divinity but those that addict themselves to the study of Divinity chuse any particular point thereof to treat on And they who give not the least ground of hope that there is any saving work upon their own souls will press upon others such things as the consideration of may incline and dispose them to believing Ezek. 18.14 28. Psal 119.59 Rom. 2 23. and men have the same natural power to teach themselves which they have to teach others But all this will not reach to conversion any farther than God is pleased to give to every one I will now shew you what God doth towards the conversion of sinners or which may have a tendency thereto Some things he doth by his Providence which he makes many times subservient to his Grace Acts 17.26 He that determines the bounds of mens habitation casts them into such places where they may hear the Gospel preached plainly seriously by such as persuade men 2 Cor. 5.11 as knowing the terror of the Lord. And he may exercise them under some affliction which may be as a ground-rain soaking to the roots and softning the clods and turning them to mold that the seed that hath been long buried may spring up of that which persons have a long time before heard and never thought of after when some humbling affliction befalls them they bethink themselves 1 Kings 8.47 and repent But such works fall short many times of true Conversion Hos 6.4 Gen. 20.6 Jo. 16.8 and this goodness proves but as the morning cloud or early dew which passes away God doth something further by his common grace restraining men from much evil I confess I think our Saviour where he speaks of the Spirit 's reproving or convincing the World understands the World of such whom he chose his Disciples out of and distinguishes them from but I think it is not intended of any inward working of the Spirit upon their hearts but of those Miracles which he wrought which confirmed the truth of Christ's Resurrection and of his Doctrine By such means as I have now mentioned men may be brought near the Kingdom of Heaven but never enter into it Mark 12.34 See Cassander's consultation p. 45. But those preparations which Salvation doth follow upon are as the soberer Papists acknowledge wrought by Gods Grace and Spirit He enlightens the mind so as we have a more clear sight of Heavenly things and other apprehensions of them than before we had when it pleases God to reveal his Son in us Gal. 1.16 Isa 53.2 Cant 5.10 Jo. 6.44 45. he that before had no form nor comeliness in our eyes nor any beauty that we should desire him is now the chief of Ten thousands in our account and altogether lovely God draws us to Christ by teaching tho I do not think that all the efficacy of God's Grace consists in propounding things to the understanding or in enlightening the understanding to conceive aright of them But by a secret touch of his Spirit he so effectually inclines our hearts to him 1 Kings 8.57 Phil. 2.20 that we do in a sort naturally mind spiritual things that is freely without constraint This of the Spirit 's enlightning the mind is not a peculiar notion of Enthusiasts but the commonly received Doctrine of sober Protestants So Bishop Pierson on the Article of the Holy Ghost in his Exposition of the Creed tells us The work of the Spirit is double external and general or internal and particular By the former he reveals the will of God to the whole Church by the latter he illuminates the understanding of particular believers that they may receive the truth the Holy Ghost working in us an assent to that which is by the word propounded Again God doth by his Spirit convince us spiritually of our state and condition and the word Eph. 6.17 Heb. 4.12 Acts 2.37 which is the sword of the Spirit and sharper than any two-edged Sword piercing to the dividing asunder betwixt the Soul and the Spirit the joynts and the marrow pricking sinners at the heart so as it shall be as a Sword in their bones