Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A Word B Word C Word D Occurrence Frequency Band MI MI Band Prominent
spirit_n deed_n flesh_n mortify_v 5,880 5 10.8136 5 false
View all documents for the selected quad

Text snippets containing the quad

ID Title Author Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) STC Words Pages
A31174 Salvation laid on its right foundation, or, The free grace of God prov'd to be the only ground of, and to have the alone stroke in, the matter of our salvation being the sum of two sermons / preach'd to a county auditory by an admirer of grace, and the freeness of it. R. C. 1698 (1698) Wing C113A; ESTC R34781 22,006 33

There is 1 snippet containing the selected quad. | View lemmatised text

hold it my faith will fail if thou put me not under thine everlasting Arms. You know reflection upon sin and sinful practises oft raises a very great Storm in the Soul Now as ever you 'd have this Tempest becalm'd be frequently entreating God to strengthen your faith whereby you may couragiously confide in the wise and faithful conduct of our skilful Pilot the Lord Jesus who himself steers at Helm that he may as he has undertaken set us safe a shore in the Haven of Eternal Happiness By grace are we saved through faith Hence I note that God's grace does so save that first we must be true Believers it is Believers alone that partake of grace grace and faith must not be severed in the matter of salvation God so loved the world as to give his only begotten Son that whosoever believed on him they and no other are to have everlasting life Look as in the Covenant of the Law do this and live no deed no life so in this Covenant of the Gospel wherein the Lord promises for Christ to pardon sin to justifie to accept to eternal life here it may be said no faith no portion in the promises of God in the grace of God in Christ Jesus for look as Plaisters unapplied so is Christ unbelieved on God doth so save us sinners in our selves that first he makes us through Christ applied righteous and worthy of salvation worthy in regard of his just acceptation seeing that the Lord doth so justifie us of grace that we are also made just in the Redemption we learn to view and contemplate on that admirable Mistery of Reconciling Justice and Mercy in Christ here we see how Gods Justice and Mercy accord in one First There is all Justice in respect of Christ whose Soul felt the Indignation of God in that extremity that his Body touched therewith sweat as it were great drops of Blood who was wrackt and broken even with cruel Torments by the hand of God for our sins Phil. 2.8 and was humbled even to that death of the Cross 2dly There is all Mercy to us it is Mercy High Rich Mercy that the satisfaction of Christ should be ours that all he did should be accounted as done by our selves and then Oh what Rich Mercy is it that Christ the satisfier should be given and bestowed upon us this is Mercy with a witness our Souls may cry Oh the heighth and depth of this matchless Mercy but I pass on By Grace ye are saved through Faith and that not of your selves hence I note that nothing which we are or do does merit our salvation or is a cause procuring it unto us The Apostle counts all his indwelling Righteousness Phil. 3.7 8. conformable to the Law Dross and Dung that which was not fit to be trusted in nor accounted of Oh what can this Righteousness do which is in us as Water in a muddy Channel you must needs confess there is little power in that to work salvation which if the strength of God should not for his mercies sake uphold it would be quenched uncessantly we have nothing in us to merit salvation the best of our performances being attended with a great deal of sin and weakness Here some will object and say If nothing of ours can merit or procure salvation for us why then does God promise life everlasting to works as if ye mortifie the deeds of the flesh ye shall live if ye sow to the spirit ye shall reap of the spirit life everlasting I Answer There are some Conditions simply conditional that may very well stand with grace First Such are those Conditions wherein men only intreating we promise and undertake to do a matter or bestow a kindness on them as go with me to such a Place and you shall partake of such Pleasures or Profits or come to me such a day I will give you such a sum of mony where is Merit in this case A Beggars receiving an Alms argues no merit in the Receiver but meer grace in the Donor We count that he who only receives a Benefit he doth nothing for it it comes freely Indeed he doth somthing naturally in receiving but nothing morally by way of merit for the thing received But Secondly There are other Conditions which have the Reason of a Meritorious Cause as when Men don 't only intreat or desire but deserve upon Contract what is promised as do my work well and I will pay you faithfully Of this kind are these Cenditions contain'd in the Law Do this and live As for those in the Gospel they are only bare and simple Conditions which deserve nothing yet must intercede and precede the bestowing of Eternal Life Again some Object That Life Everlasting is a Reward and that Rewards are deserved I answer All Rewards are not due upon nor given for Desert there is a Reward given by Grace for the Apostle says To him that worketh the Reward is counted not of Grace but of Debt Intimating that some often receive very Liberal Rewards only upon the Free Grace and Favour of the Giver and a Reward of Grace imports thus much that what Reward Men have of God even upon the Account of their best Services it is but a Gratuity no Debt upon Desert But it may be further objected That which is given according to Works is deserved by Works therefore so is Eternal Life I answer That indeed which is given according to Works as the meritorious Causes thereof that may well be said to be deserved by Works but now Eternal Life is not so given but is bestowed according to Works as they are Testimonies of our Faith whereby we rest and rely alone on Christ for Life and Salvation and for whose sake only believed on they expect Eternal Life From these Objections we learn to see the Pride and Arrogance of Mankind who when they come to deal with God would have a Value put upon their own Performances we would have a Value put upon every thing upon our Coming upon our Asking upon our Believing As if Christ was beholding to us for our accepting of him So naturally fond are we of resting upon any thing that looks like our own Performances Ah Sirs how little a hole will Self-Righteousness creep in How fain would we have somewhat whereof to Glory But Vse 2. Secondly Hence we also learn to see how our Religion magnifies the Grace of God and debases Man to manifest Tokens of the true Religion For that Religion which sincerely defends the Grace of God and only rejoyces in the Advancement of that not in the setting up the Works of prov'd Man so pernicious to the Glory of God which pulls down the Pharisaical Feathers wherewith Men pride themselves and so exalt Grace and the Freeness of it as not daring to thrust in any thing of their own whereby to lessen his Glory but willingly ascribing all to his Free Grace and Undeserved Favour This only is the true Religion