Selected quad for the lemma: sin_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
sin_n	flesh_n	send_v	sinful_a	6,272	5	9.8762	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A53700	Gospel grounds and evidences of the faith of God's elect shewing : I. The nature of true saving faith, in securing of the spiritual comfort of believers in this life, is of the highest importance, II. The way wherein true faith doth evidence it self in the soul and consciences of believers, unto their supportment and comfort, under all their conflicts with sin, in all their tryals and temptations, III. Faith will evidence it self, by a diligent, constant endeavour to keep it self and all grace in due exercise, in all ordinances of divine worship, private and publick, IV. A peculiar way whereby true faith will evidence it self, by bringing the soul into a state of repentance / by John Owen ...	Owen, John, 1616-1683.	1695 (1695)	Wing O759; ESTC R9544	55,512	98

into Darkness and the Darkness comprehendeth it not Some are blinded by Satan as he is the God of this World by filling their Minds with Prejudice and their Hearts with the Love of present things that the Light of the Glorious Gospel of Christ who is the Image of God cannot shine into them Some would mix with it their own Works Ways and Duties as they belong unto the first Covenant which are eternally irreconcible unto this way of God as the Apostle teacheth Rom. 10. 3 4. Hereby doth Unbelief eternally ruin the Souls of Men they do not they cannot approve of the way of God for saving Sinners proposed in the Gospel as an Effect of Infinite Wisdom and Power which they may safely trust unto in Opposition unto all other ways and means pretending to be useful unto the same End And this will give us Light into the Nature and Actings of saving Faith which we Enquire after 3. THE whole Scripture and all Divine Institutions from the Beginning do testifie in general that this way of God for the saving Sinners is by Commutation Substitution Attonement Satisfaction and Imputation This is the Language of the first Promise and all the Sacrifices of the Law founded thereon This is the Language of the Scripture There is a way whereby Sinners may be saved a way that God hath found out and appointed Now it being the Law wherein Sinners are concerned the Rule of all things between God and them should seem to be by what they can do or suffer with Respect unto that Law No saith the Scripture it cannot be so For by the Deeds of the Law no man living shall be justified in the sight of God Psal. 142. 2. Rom. 3. 20. Gal. 2. 16. Neither shall it be by their Personal Answering of the Penalty of the Law which they have broken For they cannot do so but they must perish eternally For If thou Lord shouldst mark Iniquities O Lord who shall stand Psal. 130. 3. There must therefore be there is another way of a different Nature and Kind from these for the saving of Sinners or there is no due Revelation made of the mind of God in the Scripture But that there is so and what it is is the main Design of it to declare And this is by the Substitution of a Mediator instead of the Sinners that shall be saved who shall both bear the Penalty of the Law which they had incurred and fulfill that Righteousness which they could not attain unto THIS in general is Gods way of saving Sinners whether Men like it or no For what the Law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for Sin condemned Sin in the flesh that the Righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us Rom. 8. 3 4. See also Heb. 10. 5 6 7 8 9 10. He made him to be sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made the Righteousness of God in him 2 Cor. 5. 21. HERE Unbelief hath prevailed with many in this latter Age to reject the Glory of God herein But we have vindicated the Truth against them sufficiently elsewhere 4. THERE are sundry things previously required to give us a clear View of the Glory of God in this way of saving Sinners Such are a due Consideration of the Nature of the Fall of our first Parents and of our Apostacy from God thereby I may not stay here to shew the Nature or Aggravations of them Neither can we conceive them aright much less express them I only say that unless we have due Apprehensions of the Dread and Terrour of them of the Invasion made on the Glory of God and the Confusion brought on the Creation by them we can never discern the Reason and Glory of rejecting the Way of Personal Righteousness and the establishing this way of a Mediator for the saving of Sinners A due Sense of our present infinite Distance from God and the Impossibility that there is in our selves of making any Approaches unto him is of the same Consideration so likewise is that of our utter Disability to do any thing that may answer the Law or the Holiness and Righteousness of God therein of our universal Unconformity in our Natures Hearts and their Actings unto the Nature Holiness and Will of God Unless I say we have a sense of these things in our Minds and upon our Consciences we cannot believe aright we cannot comprehend the Glory of this new way of Salvation And whereas Mankind hath had a general Notion though no distinct Apprehension of these things or of some of them many amongst them have apprehended that there is a Necessity of some kind of Satisfaction or Atonement to be made that Sinners may be freed from the Displeasure of God But when God's way of it was proposed unto them it was and is generally rejected because the Carnal Mind is Enmity against God But when these things are fixed on the Soul by sharp and durable Convictions they will enlighten it with due Apprehensions of the Glory and Beauty of God's way of saving Sinners 5. THIS is the Gospel this is the Work of it namely a divine Declaration of the way of God for the saving of Sinners through the Person Mediation Blood Righteousness and Intercession of Christ. This is that which it revealeth declareth proposeth and tendreth unto Sinners there is a way for their Salvation As this is contained in the first Promise so the Truth of every word in the Scripture depends on the Supposition of it Without this there could be no more Entercourse between God and us than is between Him and Devils Again it declares that this way is not by the Law or its Works by the first Covenant or its Conditions by our own Doing or Suffering but it is a new way found out in and proceeding from Infinite Wisdom Love Grace and Goodness namely by the Incarnation of the Eternal Son of God his Susception of the Office of a Mediator doing and suffering in the Discharge of it whatever was needful for the Justification and Salvation of Sinners unto his own eternal Glory See Rom. 3. 23 24 25 26 27. Chap. 8. 3 4. 2 Cor. 5. 19 20 21. c. MOREOVER the Gospel adds that the only way of obtaining an Interest in this Blessed Contrivance of saving Sinners by the Substitution of Christ as the Surety of the Covenant and thereon the Imputation of our sins to him and of his Righteousness unto us is by Faith in him HERE comes in that Trial of Faith which we Enquire after This way of saving Sinners heing proposed offered and tendered unto us in the Gospel true and saving Faith receives it approves of it rests in it renounceth all other Hopes and Expectations reposing its whole Confidence therein FOR it is not proposed unto us meerly as a Notion of Truth to be assented to or denied in which Sense all believe the

of God in his Oblation and Intercession 3. Of the great Multitude and Variety of precious Promises engaging the Truth Faithfulness and Power of God for the Communication of Righteousness and Salvation from those Springs by that means I say on the just Consideration of these things with all other Encouragements wherewith they are accompanied the Soul concludes by Faith that there is Salvation for it self in particular to be attained in that way 3. THE last Act of Faith in the order of Nature is the Souls Acquiescency in and trust unto this way of Salvation for its self and its own Eternal Condition with a Renuntiation of all other ways and means for that End And because Jesus Christ in his Person Mediation and Righteousness is the Life and Center of this way as he in whom alone God will glorifie his Wisdom Love Grace and Mercy as he who hath purchased procured and wrought all this Salvation for us whose Righteousness is imputed unto us for our Justification and who in the Discharge of his Office doth actually bestow it upon us he is the proper and immediate Object of Faith in this Act of Trust and Affiance This is that which is called in the Scripture believing in Christ namely the trusting unto him alone for Life and Salvation as the whole of Divine Wisdom and Grace is administred by him unto those Ends. For this we come unto him we receive him we beleive in him we trust him we abide in him with all those other ways whereby our Faith in him is expressed AND this is the second Ground or Reason whereon Faith doth close with embrace and approve of God's way of saving Sinners whereby it will evidence it self unto the Comfort of them in whom it is in the midst of all their Trials and Temptations Thirdly FAITH approves of this way as that which makes the Glory of God in the giving and the Sanction of the Law to be as eminently conspicuous as if it had been perfectly fulfilled by every one of us in our own Persons The Law was a just Representation of the Righteousness and Holiness of God and the End for which it was given was that it might be the means and Instrument of the Eternal Exaltation of his Glory in those holy Properties of his Nature Let no man imagine that God hath laid aside this Law as a thing of no more use or that he will bear a Diminution of that Glory or any part of it which he designed in the giving of it Heaven and Earth shall pass away but no Jot or Little of the Law shall do so No Believer can desire or be pleased with his own Salvation unless the Glory of God designed by the Law be secured He cannot desire that God should forgo any part of his Glory that he might be saved Yea this is that on the Account whereof he principally rejoyceth in his own Salvation namely that it is that wherein God will be absolutely universally and eternally glorified NOW in this way of saving Sinners by Jesus Christ by Mercy Pardon and the Righteousness of at other of all which the Law knows nothing Faith doth see and understand how all that Glory which God designed in the giving of the Law is eternally secured and preserved entire without Eclipse or Diminution The way whereby this is done is declared in the Gospel See Rom. ● 24 25 26. Chap. 8. 2 3 4. Chap. 10. 3 4. Hereby Faith is enabled to answer all the Challenges and Charges of the Law with all its Pleas for the Vindication of divine Justice Truth and Holiness It hath that to offer which gives it the utmost Satisfaction in all its Pleas for God So is this Answer managed Rom. 8. 32 33 34. AND this is the first way whereby the Faith of Gods Elect doth evidence it self in the minds and Consciences of them that do believe in the midst of all their Contests with Sin their Trials and Temptations to their Relief and Comfort namely the closing with and Approbation of Gods way of saving Sinners by Jesus Christ on the Grounds and Reasons which have been declared The Second Evidence of the Faith of God's Elect. THE second way whereby true Faith doth evidence it self in the Souls and Consciences of Beleivers unto their Supportment and Comfort under all their Conflicts with sin in all their Trials and Temptations is by a constant Approbation of the Revelation of the Will of God in the Scripture concerning our Holiness and the Obedience unto himself which he requireth of us This Faith will never forgo whatever Trials it may undergo whatever Darkness the mind may fall into This it will abide by in all Extremities And that it may appear to be a peculiar Effect or work of saving Faith some things are to be premised and considered 1. THERE is in all men by Nature a Light enabling them to judge of the Difference that is between what is morally good and what is evil especially in things of more than ordinary Importance This Light is not attained or acquired by us we are not taught it we do not learn it It is born with us and inseparable from us It prevents Consideration and Reflection working naturally and in a sort necessarily in the first Actings of our Souls AND the discerning Power of this Light as to the Moral Nature of Mens Actions is accompanied inseparably with a Judgment that they make concerning themselves as unto what they do of the one kind or other and that with respect unto the superiour Judgment of God about the same things This the Apostle expresly ascribes unto the Gentiles who had not the Law Rom. 2. 14 15. The Gentiles which have not the Law do by Nature the things contained in the Law these having not the Law are a Law unto themselves which shew the Work of the Law written in their Hearts their Consciences also bearing Witness and their Thoughts the mean while accusing or excusing one another This is a most exact Description of a natural Conscience in both the Powers of it it discerns that good and evil which is commanded and forbidden in the Law and it passeth an acquiting or condemning Judgment and Sentence according to what Men have done WHEREFORE this Approbation of Duties in things moral is common unto all Men. The Light whereby it is guided may be variously improved as it was in some of the Gentiles And it may bestisled in some until it seem to be quite extinguished until they become like the Beasts that perish And where the discerning power of this Light remains yet through a continual Practice of sin and obduracy therein the judging power of it as unto all its Efficacy may be lost So the Apostle declares concerning them who are judicially hardened and given up unto sin Rom. 1. 32. These knowing the Judgment of God that they which commit such things are worthy of Death not only do the same but have pleasure in them that do them

They still discern what is evil and sinful and know what is the Judgment of God concerning such things but yet the Love of sin and Custom in sinning do so far prevail in them as to contemn both their own Light and Gods Judgment so as to delight in what is contrary unto them These the Apostle describes Eph. 4. 19. Being past feeling all sense of Convictions they give themselves over nnto Lasciviousness to work all Uncleanness with greediness such as the World is filled withall at this Day THIS is not that Approbation of Obedience which we enquire after It is in some measure in the worst of Men nor hath it any likeness unto that Duty of Faith which we treat of as will immediately appear 2. THERE is a farther Knowledge of Good and Evil by the Law and this is also accompanied with a Judgment acquiting or condemning For the Law hath the same judging Power and Authority over Men that their own Consciences have namely the Authority of God himself The Law is to sinners as the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil it opens their Eyes to see the Nature of what they have done For by the Law is the Knowledge of sin Rom. 3. 20. and so is the Knowledge of Duty also for it is the adequate Rule of all Duty There is I say a Knowledge and Conviction of Duty and Sin communicated unto Men by the Law and those far more clear and distinct than what is or can be found in Men from the meer Light of Nature for it extends to more Instances that being generally lost where it is alone as unto many important Duties and Sins And it declareth the Nature of every sin and duty far more clearly than Natural Light of it self can do AND this Knowledge of good and evil by the Law may be so improved in the Minds of Men as to press them unto a Performance of all known Duties and an Abstinence from all known sins with a Judgment on them all But yet herein doth not consist that Approbation of Holiness and Obedience which Faith will produce For 1. AS unto Approbation or Condemnation of Good or Evil That which is by the Law is particular or hath Respect unto particular Duties and Sins according as Occasion doth present them and extends not unto the whole Law absolutely and all that is required in it I do not not say it is always partial There is a Legal Sincerity that may have respect unto all known Duties and Sins though it be very rare Hardly shall we find a Person meerly under the Power of the Law who doth not evidence an Indulgence unto some Sin and a Neglect of some Duties But such a thing there may be it was in Paul in his Phariseisme He was touching the Righteousness which is in the Law blameless Phil. 3. 6. He allowed not himself in any known sin nor in the Neglect of any known Duty nor could others charge him with any Defect therein he was blameless But where this is still this Approbation or Condemnation is particular that is they do respect particular Duties and Sins as they do occurr there is not a respect in them unto the whole Righteousness and Holiness of the Law as we shall see wherefore a man may approve of every Duty in its season as it is offered unto him or when at any time he thinks of it by an Act of his fixed Judgment and so on the contrary as unto sin and yet come short of that Approbation of Holiness and Righteousness which we enquire after 2. IT is not accompanied with a Love of the things themselves that are good as they are so and an Hatred of the contrary For the Persons in whom it is do not cannot delight in the Law of God in the inward Man as Rom. 7. 22. so as to approve of it and all that is contained in it cleaving to them with Love and Delight They may have a Love for this or that Duty and an Hatred of the contrary but it is on various Considerations suited unto their Convictions and Circumstances but it is not on the Account of its formal Nature as good or evil Wherefore 3. NO Man without the Light of saving Faith can constantly and universally approve of the Revelation of the Will of God as unto our Holiness and Obedience TO make this evident which is the Foundation of our present Discovery of the acting of saving Faith we must consider 1. What it is that is to be approved 2. What this Approbation is or wherein it doth consist 1. THAT which is to be approved is the Holiness and Obedience which God requireth in us our Natures and Actions and accepts from us or accepts in us It is not particular Duties as they occur unto us taken alone and by themselves but the universal Correspondence of our Natures and Actions unto the Will of God The Scripture giveth us various Descriptions of it because of the Variety of Graces and gracious Operations which concurr therein We may here mention some of its principal Concerns having handled the Nature of it at large elsewhere For it may be considered 1. As unto its Foundation Spring and Causes and this is the universal Renovation of our Natures unto the Image of God Eph. 4. 24. or the Change of our whole Souls in all their Faculties and Powers into his Likeness whereby we become new Creatures or the Workmanship of God created in Jesus Christ unto good Works 2 Cor. 5. 17. Eph. 2. 10. Wherein we are originally and formally sanctified throughout in our whole Spirit Soul and Body 1 Thes. 5. 23. It is the whole Law of God written in our Hearts transforming them into the Image of the divine Holiness represented therein And this next unto the Blood of Christ and his Righteousness is the principal Spring of Peace Rest and Complacency in and unto the Souls of Believers It is their Joy and Satisfaction to find themselves restored unto a Likeness and Conformity unto God as we shall see farther immediately And where there is not some gracious Sense and Experience hereof there is nothing but Disorder and Confusion in the Soul Nothing can give it a sweet Composure a Satisfaction in it self a Complacency with what it is but a spiritual sense of this Renovation of the Image of God in it 2. IT may be considered as unto its permanent Principle in the Mind and Affection and this because of its near Relation unto Christ its Conjunction with him and Derivation from him is sometimes said to be Christ himself hence we live yet not so much we as Christ liveth in us Gal. 2. 20. For without him we can do nothing Joh. 15. 5. For he is our Life Col. 3. 4. As it resides in Believers it is a permanent principle of spiritual Life Light Love and Power acting in the whole Soul and all the Faculties of the mind enabling them to cleave unto God with purpose of Heart and to live