Selected quad for the lemma: soul_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
soul_n	believe_v	faith_n	spirit_n	6,139	5	5.3448	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A45680	Christ's righteousness imputed, the Saint's surest plea for eternal life, or, The glorious doctrine of free-justification, by the imputation of the pure and spotless righteousness of Jesus Christ, stated, cleared, vindicated, and made plain to the meanest capacity being the substance of several sermons, on Isaiah XLV. 24, 25 / by Michael Harrison ...	Harrison, Michael, Minister at Potters-Pury.	1690 (1690)	Wing H903; ESTC R10310	20,250	35

whereof Justification by Works is the chief therefore he that symbolizeth with Papists Socinians and Arminians in this Doctrine deserves not the Name of a Protestant for whoever opposes this Doctrine opposes Christ and the Gospel way of Salvation as has bin proved 2. This informs us what a miserable State all Men by Nature are in that have no Righteousness nor are capable of doing any thing to justifie themselves no neither Men nor Angels can furnish us with a Righteousness to present us righteous at God's Bar but it must be a Righteousness of God's providing yea the Righteousness of his own Son none else will do us any Good O how far was Man gone from God! How deep was he sunk into the deep Abyss of Misery Without Christ and his Righteousness we perish for ever Acts 4.12 3. See here the infinite Mercy and Kindness of God to undone Sinners to provide us such a Righteousness when we had none of our own John 3.16 God so loved the World as to give his Son Rom. 10.4 He is the End of the Law for Righteousness O Let us admire Grace Psal 103.1 2. 4. This gives us a Reason why Satan and his Instruments are and have always been so busie in depraving and corrupting this Doctrine Wicked Herod did not more desire to have killed Christ in the Cradle than Satan and Seducers do to crucifie this Heavenly Doctrine Learned Chemnitius saith he could not but tremble to think of a Passage of Luther who said That he foresaw after his Death the Doctrine of Justification would be corrupted This was Ominous and proved too true how did the Galatians warp from this Doctrine which is like its Master crucify'd among Thieves the Arminian and Antinomian on the one hand the Socinian and Papist on the other 5. Inference That if we would preserve this Glorious Doctrine we must keep close to Scripture and have a Care of making our own Carnal Reason the Standard of this Doctrine God's Thoughts are above our Thoughts and his Ways above our Ways the Socinian will believe nothing but what accords with his own depraved Reason tho' in the Gospel there is nothing contrary to sound Reason yet there are many things above Reason whereof this of Justification by imputed Righteousness is one 't is utterly impossible that any thing short of Divine Revelation should discover the way of a guilty Sinner's becoming righteous before God 6. This informs us that Pardon of Sin is not the all of Justification for in Justification there is two Parts 1. A Discharge from the Curse of the Law the Guilt of Sin this is properly the Pardon of Sin 2. 'T is possible one might be pardoned and annihilated Therefore in Justification there must be a Righteousness which must constitute us righteous at God's Bar and give us a Title to Eternal Life 2 Cor. 5.22 7. This informs us whence it is that this Doctrine of Justification is so little understood even amongst Professors who have a good measure of Knowledge and can talk hansomely of other Truths yet are very dark and muddy in this The Reason is this is one of the Mysteries of the Gospel that Flesh and Blood Carnal Reason cannot fathom 8. If this be so then a justified Believer may walk very comfortably and enjoy a sweet sense of the Love of God and Eternal Life notwithstanding remaining Infirmities which do still cleave to the best of God's Children we may and ought to be humble for remaining Infirmities but our remaining Infirmities do not make void our Justification we stand accepted at God's Bar not for our own but for Christ's Obedience No Condemnation to them that are in Christ Rom. 8.1 1 John 2.1 If any Man sin we have an Advocate with the Father 2. Use of CAUTION If this be so then are we justified by nothing in our selves but only by the Righteousness of Christ imputed to us Then 1. Take heed of resting in a meer Doctrinal Soundness in this Point without a renewed and sanctified Heart Some please themselves with this that they are right in Point of Opinion they disclaim Works in Justification expect to be justified only by Faith but in the mean time that which they call Faith is nothing but Opinion a dead Faith that bears no living Fruit this is what St. James doth so much set himself against Jam. 2.17 Faith if it hath not Works is dead being alone O see that your Faith be a living working Faith 2. On the other Hand take heed of relying or trusting to your own Duties Graces of Holiness Without Holiness you can never see God Heb. 12.14 and yet you must not trust to or make Saviours of your Holiness Faith looks only to Christ 3. Take heed of confounding Faith with Obedience as too many do our Justification consists in receiving from God not giving any thing to him Christ is offered in the New Covenant Faith is the Hand whereby we receive Christ 3. Use of EXAMINATION Now let us search our Hearts whether we are made Partaker of this blessed Priviledge or no But how shall I know that First If you are justified then your Sins are pardoned and if your Sins are pardoned Then 1. You have been truly humbled and melted down for Sin Isa 57.15 Isa 66.2 Mat. 5.3 2. If your Sins are pardoned you have abandoned and forsaken all Sin and that both in Practice and Affection Isa 55.7 Let the Wicked forsake his Way and the Unrighteous Man his Thoughts and return to the Lord and he will have Mercy on him and to our God and he will abundantly pardon 3. A pardoned Soul hates all Sin Gen. 39.9 How shall I do this great Wickedness and sin against God Psal 119.113 I hate vain Thoughts but thy Law do I love 4. A pardoned Soul is an humble Soul i. e. One who hath very low Thoughts of himself of Parts Duties Graces Phil. 3.5 Rom. 7.24 5. A pardoned Soul is a thankful Soul 1 Cor. 15.10 By the Grace of God I am what I am Psal 103.1 2 3. 6. A pardoned Soul is one who has used in a due manner all the Means appointed by God in Order to obtain the Pardon of Sin as True Repentance a constant Use of all Ordinances Hearing the Word preached Reading Prayer Reformation Luke 13.3 Isa 55.7 Confession and Acknowledgment of Sin 1 Kin. 8.30 33 34. Secondly Some Rules to know when you are Partakers of the Righteousness of Christ and if you believe in Christ then are you Partakers of Christ's Righteousness John 3.36 He that believeth on the Son hath Everlasting Life Look well to your Faith that it be not Common but a Special and Saving Faith Now True Faith may be known 1. By the Manner how the Holy Spirit works Faith in the Soul The Spirit finds us dead Eph. 1.2 12. dark blind Enemies to God and Christ his first Work is to Convince of Sin John 16.8 Acts 2.37 He Enlightens the Mind Eph. 4.23 He Bows the Will

Declarative Cause there being no other ordinary Way to evidence to our own Souls the Truth of our Faith and the Certainty of our Justification but by sincere Obedience and true Holiness Rom. 8.1 They that are in Christ walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit 3. 'T is very strange Persons can find no place for or reason of Holiness unless they must place them in Christ's Throne and make them their justifying Righteousness our Holiness does not merit Heaven but it makes us fit for it it does not give us a Title but it is our Evidence for Heaven Obj. 2. But does not this Doctrine of Justification by imputed Righteousnes introduce Carelesness for if we are justified by Christ's Obedience what need we be exact or careful about our own Obedience Answ Indeed this is an old Objection made against this Doctrine Rom. 6.1 Shall we continue in Sin that Grace may abound But 1. Consider Justification and Sanctification always go together to whomsoever Christ is made Righteousness To them is he made Sanctification also 1 Cor. 1.30 2. Nothing more engages the Soul to Christ and Holiness then a sence of Free-Grace in Justification Rom. 1.8 Obj. 3. This Doctrine of Justification by Christ's Righteousness imputed seems to dissolve the Law as if it did no longer oblige to Obedience Answ This is also an old Objection made against St. Paul's Preaching Rom. 3.31 Do we then make void the Law thro' Faith God forbid yea we rather establish the Law The Apostle's Answer is that the Doctrine of Justification by imputed Righteousness is so far from destroying the Law that it establishes it 1. The Law is established in Christ in that he has fulfilled the Law and that both in the perfect Holiness of his Life and also in the Sufferings and Satisfaction of his Death because Christ did all this as our Head and Representative and hence the Righteousness of the Law is said to be fulfilled in us Rom. 8.3 4. 2. The Law to a Believer is become void as to its being the Way of our Justification before God yet it is established as a Rule of Life We must obey it not to be justified by it but to testifie our Thankfulness to God not as a Cause but as an Evidence of our Justification not to give us a Title to Life but a Meetness for it Obj. 4. If we are righteous before God in the Righteousness of Christ then God sees no Sin in his People Answ True God sees not Sin in a Saint with a Vindictive Eye he does not so see Sin in a justified Person as to revoke their Justification and condemn them for it Rom. 8.1 No Condemnation to them that are in Christ But with an intuitive Eye God doth both see and punish Sin in his own People Psal 89.30 31 32 33 34. Obj. 5. This Doctrine of Justification by imputed Righteousness is a Doctrine very pleasing to Flesh and Blood every Carnal Man will be glad of it because he need not be much concerned about his own Righteousness c. Answ There is no Doctrine in the Bible more contrary to Flesh and Blood than this is Rom. 10.3 The Jews could not submit to it it 's Foolishness to Carnal Men Flesh and Blood is for Setting up something of its own to be justified by no Doctrine doth so empty the Creature as this does it makes Men abhor themselves and renounce their own Righteousness and make Christ all in all Phil. 3.6 7 8. Obj. 6. The Scripture every where attributes our Justification to the Death and Blood of Christ therefore not to his Active Obedience as you do Answ 1. 'T is true Mention is frequently made of the Death and Sufferings of Christ as the Cause of our Justification and Salvation but the Blood and Sufferings of Christ are mentioned not with a Design to exclude Christ's Active Obedience but Synecdochically Pars pro toto a Part for the whole for where only mention is made of the Blood of Christ as Eph. 1.7 all that Christ did and suffered is to be understood Christ shedding his Blood being the concluding Act includes all the rest 2. We find Justification attributed frequently to his Active as well as to his Passive Obedience as Rom. 8.3 4. where Christ's Active as well as his Passive Obedience is mentioned c. 3. The Person of Christ is the Object of justifying Faith we must not look altogether it Christ's Holy Life or bitter Sufferings but at both as 1 Pet. 1.19 The precious Blood of Christ there is his Passive As a Lamb without Blemish there is his Active Obedience we were under the Curse of the Law Christ's passive Obedience frees us from that Also we want Conformity to the Law Christ's Active Obedience is our Legal Righteousness Obj. 7. The wretched Socinian objects against all this That we need no Satisfaction at all but are saved by meer Sovereign Mercy Answ 1. The Old Testament Believers were not so distinct as to the way of Salvation by a Satisfaction as we now are in the Days of the Gospel tho' this was not unknown to them as is evident by Psal 51. and Isa 53. All their bloody Oblations plainly pointed to a Satisfaction but the Gospel way of Salvation not being yet revealed in that Brightness it was afterwards to be Old Testament Believers spake more darkly and generally but when they speak of Salvation by Mercy and Grace they mean the Gospel way of Salvation which being now clearly revealed and fully opened is in the New Testament generally called Redemption by the Blood of Christ That he is a Propitiation for our Sins 1 Joh. 2.1 2. And if the Harmony of the Divine Attributes be consulted we shall find that God is just as well as meriful and will by no means clear the guilty The Sinner of an hundred Years old shall be accursed the Justice of God calls for a Satisfaction and indeed when we consider that the very Strain of the New Testament runs so much upon Exalting the Free-Grace of God in Christ that We have Redemption thro' his Blood Eph. 1.7 that The Lord has laid upon him the Iniquity of us all That By his Stripes we are healed Isa 53.4 5 6. We must fling away our Bibles and renounce the Christian Religion nay all Hopes of Eternal Life if we let go the Doctrine of Satisfaction APPLICATION Is this so That it is the Character of justified Believers to acknowledge that that Righteousness whereby they are justified is in the Lord not in themselves We may make a Threefold Use of it 1. By way of INFORMATION 2. CAUTION 3. EXAMINATION 1. By way of INFORMATION in these Ten Things 1. If this be so then it informs us how sincere and right Protestants may be discerned and distinguished from Popish Socinians Arminians Quakers and the whole Tribe of Hetrodox Persons the Name Protestant was given to the Professors in Germany in Luther's Time for protesting against the Errors of Popery