Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	believe_v	faith_n	grace_n	8,077	5	5.8830	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A47437	Christ alone the way to Heaven, or, Jacob's ladder improved containing four sermons lately preach'd on Genesis XXVIII, XII : wherein the doctrine of free-grace is display'd through Jesus Christ : also discovering the nature, office, and ministration of the holy angels : to which is added one sermon on Rom. 8, 1 : with some short reflections on Mr. Samuel Clark's new book intituled Scripture justification / by Benjamin Keach.	Keach, Benjamin, 1640-1704.	1698 (1698)	Wing K53; ESTC R24422	80,847	121

believe in God and come to God not directly to God without eyeing of this Medium no no God out of Christ is an angry God a consuming ●●ire therefore we must come to God by Christ as our Mediator and co●mit our cause to him to plead at God's Bar. Thirdly Why we should behold this Ladder or look unto Jesus Christ 1. Because he is the way to Heaven which infinite Wisdom hath found out nay the result of that glorious Counsel held between the Father and the Son from eternity Not to behold this Way this Ladder this Mediator is to cast contempt on God in his contrivance of Salvation by Jesus Christ. 2. Because there is so much divine Love Grace and Goodness shewed to us in Jesus Christ. 3. Because this Sight is so Wonderful a Sight● Christ Brethren is the wonder of both Worlds O 't is an amazing thing to see such a Way such a Ladder prepared for us to go to God! 4. Christ should be beheld because of the Loveliness as well as the Wonderfulness of his Person There is no such Object to be seen in Heaven nor Earth 5. Because there is in him all Fulness We beheld his glory as the glory of the only begotten of the Father full of Grace and Truth The Word as one observes is Emphatical itheasametha we beheld as in a Theatre as Men behold things presented to them on a Stage with great earnestness and delight even as the express Image of the Father's Person it pleased the Father that in him all fulness should ●awe● He received the Spirit of Grace without measure and 't is in him to be Communicated to all his Elect or Members of his mystical Body as fulness of Sap is in the Root to supply all the Branches 6. Because this of beholding or looking to Jesus Christ is the way God hath appointed for our Reception or Participation of all the Benefits and Merits of his Blood nor is there any other way but thro' believing in him for any Adult Persons to be Saved 7. Because of the absolute necessity Sinners have of him they are sick and he is their Physician c. Fifthly For what or to receive what should we behold Jesus Christ. 1. For Reco●ciliat●on and Peace with God All thi●●s are of God who reconciled us unto himself 〈…〉 To 〈◊〉 th●t God was in Christ reconciling the World to himself not imputing their Tres●asses unto them This is the meriter●ous cause of our Reconciliation God in Christ or by his Blood is Satisfied and Reconciled and all that would have peace with God must Believe or look to Christ to receive the Attonement Christ hath received an actual discharge for Sinners from his Father and you must come to him for it and receive the Benefit and Evidence of it to your own Consciences All that the Father hath given me shall come unto me and whosoever cometh unto me I wi●l in no wise cast out There is an infallible Connexion betwixt Faith and eternal Life and betwixt Election and the Collection of special Grace and as Election is first special Vocation will follow and as many as were ordained to eternal Life believed For the Father's gift of the Soul to Christ and of Grace to believe in him is no doubt here ment by his giving them to his Son 2. ●herefore you must first look to him for Grace for Fait● God pours ou● the Spirit of Grace and Supplicat●on first and then a Sinner looks to him w●om he pierced that is then and not till then he will believe or savingly behold Jesus Christ. 3. Sinners must behold Christ look to Christ for Vnion with him and to be espoused to him Look till they Love behold him till they fall in Love with him The holy Spirit is the bond of this Union by which Christ takes hold of us and Faith is that Grace by which we take hold of him 4. For Justification Whosoever hath Union with Christ receives their personal Discharge from the Law-Sentence that bound them over to Wrath and Condemnation and are actually pronounced Acquitted and Justified for ever 5. For Acceptation with the Father who hath made us accepted in the beloved Christ's acceptance by the Father is the Spring or Fountain of our Acceptance he being accepted for and in the behalf of all his Elect And no sooner is a Sinner in Christ but he stands personally Justified and accepted with the Father and he being accepted all his Duties and Services are accepted also that he performs in Faith and by the assistance of the Spirit of God 6. For Pardon of Sin and to have it evidenced unto their Consciences In whom we have Redemption thro' his Blood even the forgiveness of Sins 7. For Strength Surely shall one say in the Lord have I Righteousness and Strength Righteousness to Justifie me and Strength to Support me and Assistance to bear all Burdens resist all Temptations to strengthen all my Graces and to perform all holy Duties 8. For all divine Comforts and Consolations If there be therefore any Consolations in Christ if any comfort of Love if any fellowship of the Spirit c. Tho' many may be in Christ and find no such Consolations which others meet with yet there are most precious Consolations in him and we should look to him for them Lastly We should behold him look to him for eternal Life Eternal Life is purchased by Christ and 't is to be had in Christ and all that believe h●ve an undoubted Title thereto APPLICATION First We Infer from hence that great blindness and ignorance hath siezed upon most of Men in that they care not to behold Jesus Christ they can see no Be●uty in him to desire him nor do they marvel to behold this sight Secondly Sinner will you not behold this Christ thy Saviour Let me Exhort you to behold the Lamb of God that takes away the Sin of the World and O cast a right look unto him Motives 1. It will cause or work godly Sorrow in you f●r all your Sins They shall look unto him whom they p●ercea and shall Mourn c. 2. It will cause in you Self-loathing and Self-abhorrance I have heard of thee by the hearing of the Ears but now mine Eyes see thee therefore I abhor my self and repent in Dust and Ashes When the Prophet saw the Lord sitting upon a Throne high and lifted up and his Train filled the Temple he cryed out I am undone mine Eyes have seen the King the Lord of Hosts 3. It will cause you to behold great Beauty and excellencies in him To you that believe he is precious Yea doubtless I count all things loss for the excellency of the Knowledge of Jesus Christ my Lord. You will say then that he is the chiefest among ten Thousands and altogether Lovely 4. It will change you into his own Image

CHRIST ALONE THE WAY TO HEAVEN OR JACOB's LADDER IMPROVED Containing Four SERMONS Lately Preach'd on GENESIS XXVIII XII Wherein the Doctrine of Free-Grace is display'd through Jesus Christ. Also discovering the Nature Office and Ministration of the holy Angels To which is added One Sermon on Rom. 8.1 With some short Reflections on Mr. Samuel Clark's new Book intituled Scripture Justification By Benjamin Keach Acts 5.31 Him hath God Exalted c. LONDON Printed and Sold by Benja Harris at the upper-end of Grace church-street next Corn-Hill 1698. Page 60. line 5. r. climb up p. 62. l. 28. bl●● out in p. 71.72.73.77 78. several lines shoul● have double Comma's being Citations and so i● 2 or 3 other pages In the Medium c. p. 3● l. 22. for federally r. decretively The Epistle Dedicatory To the Six Churches of Believers Baptized upon the Profession of Faith in Hampshire and to their respective Elders and Deacons viz at South-hampton Mr. Richard Ring Pastor at Christ-church Mr. Humphrey Richards Pastor at Ringwood Mr. Nath. Lane Pastor and at and near White-church Mr. Richard Kent and Mr. Joseph Kent Elders at Lymington Mr. John Ramsey Pastor at Gosport Mr. John Webber Pastor Grace Mercy and Peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ be Multiplied Honoured and Beloved I Being lately cast among you by the providence of God and being refreshed by seeing and beholding your Order Vnity Love and holy Zeal for God and Religion together with that kind Reception you gave me have as a token of my Respects Dedicated these insuing Sermons to you some of you also giving Incouragement for the Publication of them That which I desire of you which also I have hinted in Letters to you since I returned to London is that you would labour to strengthen one another's hands not only by your mutual Prayers and by assisting one another but also that you by your respective Messengers do meet together one or twice in the ●●ar to know each other's Estate and wherein you may be further Serviceable one to another which may prove many ways to your Advantage 'T is matter of great joy to see how you are united in one Spirit both in matters of Faith and Practice tho' Satan hath indeavoured to disturb the peace of some of you but may be God suffered it That such that are approved might be made manifest The Lord increase your numbers and cause you to flourish like the Palm-trees Now that which remains for you the Churches of Jesus Christ is that you shew your Love and holy zeal for the Support of your painful and faithful Pastors and incouragement of such Gifts that you may have amongst you by helping them to what Learning they may be able to attain unto for their better Accomplishment for the Minister● and by removing one gran● Discouragement by a faithful indeavour to support your presen● Ministery by a comfortable Gospel-maintenance as God hath ordained to the uttermost of your Ability by which means a●so you will acquit your selves of that common charge cast upon the Baptised Churches viz. They starve their Ministers How should they Provide Bread for your Souls should they be le●● to the Cares and Incumbrances of this Life in providing Brea● for their own Families but since you have received it as your undoubted Duty to discharge them from all worldly Business according to your Abilities I need say no more to this Lastly Let me exhort you all to strive to continue in Love and Vnion and adorn your sacred Profession 〈◊〉 a holy Conve●sation and by dying to this World and so to prepare for t●● coming of our Lord which now draws very near The Virgin● I fear are asleep but sad will it be with some if the Midnight Cry should find them so to be as to these Sermons I shall say b●● little not knowing they deserve such a Publication tho' I ha●● been pressed to do it yet I hope with the blessing of God they m●● be of profit to some as you have assured me others of my form●● poor Labours have been to many and if I know my own Hea●● that it is which incourages me still to Write for some other ways I have reason enough to throw away my Pen and nev●● Write more but since God gives me Incouragement I shall litle regard those Discouragements from Men but if this way do too much I am certain some others do too little who I kn●● are far more able and better accomplished to write than I b●● where God gives but two Talents he requires but the improvement of Two the Substance 〈◊〉 of these Sermons some of yo● heard The good Lord bless you all and establish you in the Doctrine of free Justification by Christ alone and in all other Fundamental Truths and that you may be kept from all extreams You will perceive in the latter part of this Treatise How Sata● is laying his Ax at the Root or Foundation c. many errors and Heresies abound in these evil Days the Lord pour out more o● his Spirit and ●ndow you and I with that precious Grace o● Humility that we may be even cloathed therewith and no● Judge Censure one another who all hold the head To conclude let me beg a remembrance of me in your prayers who hope I shal● never forget you whilst in this Tabernacle and shall subcribe my self your Servant in the Gospel ●orsly-Down Nov. 4th 16●7 Benja Ke● CHRIST ALONE THE Way to Heaven OR JACOB'S LADDER IMPROVED c. SERMON I. GENESIS xxviij xij xiij 1. And he Dreamed and behold a Ladder set upon the Earth and the top of it reached to Heaven and behold the Angels of God ascending and descending on it 2. And behold the Lord stood above it and said I am the Lord God of Abraham thy Father c. JACOB having got the Blessing was sent away by Isaac his Father and it is said verse 10. That he went from Beersheba and went towards Haran And Night coming on he laid himself down to sleep tho' he had but hard lodging For he took of the Stones of the place and put them for his Pillow v. 11. And he Dreamed and behold a Ladder c. Jacob was like to meet with great Trouble being forc'd to fly for fear of his Life Esau being inraged against him first for getting his Birth-right and now also his Blessing God no doubt gave him this Dream to succour and comfort him in his Journy and not only so but to discover a greater Good to him than his present Support even to make known by this Dream the Messiah that should proceed from his Loyns by whom he and all his true Seed should ascend to Heaven and be with God for ever In my Text are Two Things to be noted I. A Vision viz. He saw a Ladder the Top reaching to Heaven II. An Oracle or Voice from Heaven God spake to him saying I am the Lord thy God c.

by the holy Spirit to see it and acknowledge it before they ascend up this spiritual Ladder 2. Now a po●r Sinner being brought thus to the Foot of Christ the first Step or Gradation he makes in ascending on this Ladder is to believe in Christ to venture his Soul upon him alone to trust on him on his Righteousness And on the Merits of his Blood for Justification c. He that firmly and savingly Believes in Christ may be said to set his Foot on this Ladder to ascend Some Men do not begin 〈◊〉 they would be at the top of the Ladder before they have se●●their Feet on the first Round of it because all that shall be Saved are Elected they begin there and hence think if they ●are Elected tho' they are not called but are in their Sins they are Justified Pardoned and in as good Estate as the best Believer in the World But this is a great Mistake the Decree of Election without the Execution of it puts nothing into actual Existence God Decreed from all Eternity to create the World but the World was not therefore from Eternity actually Created No more are any of the Elect actually Justified and in a State of Life until by the Spirit they are united to him and so Believe A Man cannot be Dead and Alive at one and the same time Or be Condemned and Justified or be a Child of the Devil and yet a Child of God Grace makes a Relative as well as a Real change all one and the same time the first Step a Per●on takes I say towards Heaven pray observe it is to Believe in Christ and that a Sinner before he doth Believe is brought to the Foot of Christ i. e. He sees himself Lost and Undone in the first Adam and till then under Wrath. 3. And then that he may go up upon this spiritual Ladder he must Step forward on the next Round which is that of Obedience to Christ's holy Precepts Take my Yoke on you and learn of me First our Lord calls all that are weary and heavy-laden to come unto him that is to Believe in him and then to take on them the Yoke of Gospel-Obedience as Baptism and Church-member-ship Then they that gladly received th● Word were Baptized and the same day then were added unto them about Three Thousand Soul 4. And then go on unto Perfection or pre●● forward in the way of Holiness and so go step by step or from Strength to Strength in Sion adding one Grace of the Spirit unto another Eighthly He that would go up a very high Ladder ought to take care to set his Feet direct or straight upon it not carelesly or awry but full upon it So all that would ascend on this Ladder Jesus Christ must exert a direct act of Faith he must fix his Soul plum upon him or firmly upon him A poor Sinner must see that he takes hold o● Christ in a Promise with a true and fixed Faith not with a false or presumpteous Fa●●● but by the Faith of the operation of God which is ● Fruit of the Spirit called the Faith of God's Elect being only peculiar unto them 〈◊〉 ●●o a● the chosen of God A false Faith is 〈◊〉 dangerous as a false Step a Man takes in ascending ● a Ladder who missing his standing an● 〈◊〉 falls down and perisheth and so shall al● M●●believers as well as all Un-believers perish ●●●nally He that believes not aright had as g●●● believe not at all Ninthly As he that climbs up a Ladder ough● to kn●w it's Strength so he Ventures his L●ft and whole Body upon it So that Man that ventures on this spiritual Ladder Jesus Christ ought to know the Strength and Power of Christ to Justifie to Pardon and eternally to Save him he must venture all the stress of his Salvation on him alone Christ is the only Foundation he must venture his whole Soul upon him Trust intirely in him buil● only upon him and come to the Father by him I know on whom I have Believed I know hi● Power he is mighty to Save yea able to save to the uttermost as was hinted before In the Lord do I put my trust Again saith David In thee do I put my Trust. Tenthly A Man that ventures to ascend up upon a Ladder so exceeding high the top whereof reacheth above the Clouds even to Heaven as he shews his Faith is not small so his Courage is great Brethren This of Venturing on Christ Believing on Christ shews that a Saint's Faith and Courage is not small Faith lies above Sense nay above Reason I mean Faith in Christ to believe in a Crucified Saviour to seek Justification by the Righteousness of another by a Man hang'd on a Tree the Greeks counted this Foolishness To get this way to Heaven shews a Man acts above himself Some would say to a Man that is resolved to ascend up on such a Ladder Friend you can never get up to Heaven in such a way you will certainly fall or faint before you get thither what Faith have you What prodigious Courage have you So here the poor Soul saith I fear not God ●●●th set this Ladder up and fixed it firmly and G●● Commanded me to Believe in Christ he ●ath bid me venture up on this Ladder He hath revealed in his Word that this way and By no other we must be Saved and I will venture upon him Many have gone this way safe to Heaven already and none can go any other way I must therefore believe in Christ ascend to Heaven by him or else perish for ever I know God will help me and uphold me and I will therefore not be afraid I am convinced of Righteousness because Christ as my Head is gone to the Father his Righteousness and not my own must carry me thither his Righteousness is Perfect and I am Compleat in him and as I have Righteousness in him so in him I have Strength also Brethren Without Faith and spiritual Courage no person will adventure to climb up this Ladder nay without Faith no Man can ascend or come to the Father Believing in Christ is a climbing up or ascending up upon this Ladder Eleventhly It is a vain thing for a Man to hope to get up to the Top of a Ladder that will not first set his Foot on the lower Roun● thereof So it is a vain thing for any to hope to be Saved or to get to Heaven who do not first Believe and receive R●●●nerating Grace for he that Believes not shall be Damned Twelfthly He that ascends up very high on a Mighty Tall Ladder hath a clear Sight or Prospect of Heaven and the higher he goes the smaller the Earth appears to him it seems but a little spot nay it being a dark Body 〈…〉 at last not perceive it to be any ●●ing at all