Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n
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A50243
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The righteousness of God through faith upon all without difference who believe in two sermons on Romans 3, 22 / by Nathaniel Mather ...
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Mather, Nathanael, 1631-1697.
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1694
(1694)
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Wing M1265; ESTC R6790
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55,229
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no less validly and effectually given and imputed to one than it is unto another 'T is true indeed there is a difference in the degree and measure wherein different Believers are made partakers of some of the Effects and Fruits of this righteousness yea there is a difference as to this in the same Believer at different times Sanctification and Comfort are the Effects of this righteousness and they are in different measures in different Believers and in the same Believer at different times But yet this righteousness it self is as much upon one Believer all Believers are equally justified or constituted righteous by it They that have been the greatest Sinners and are most guilty have it upon them through Faith and are as well and as much made righteous by it as lesser Sinners one who hath done evil innumerable times and whose days have been prolonged so that he is a sinner of an hundred years old hath it upon him through Faith and stands as righteous in it as an Infant of days doth All that believe are alike and equally justified Gospel-Justification admits not of any degrees that one should be more or less justified than another and therefore in this regard also there is no difference 3. This righteousness is upon all that believe in the same way viz. through Faith No more no other is required of one than of another that this righteousness may be upon him namely Faith true Faith though this true Faith may possibly be weaker in one stronger in another It is true indeed that on other accounts and for other ends and from other grounds some things may be required of some which are not required of others In some cases Restitution and in some cases Confession unto men even of secret Sins are required and insisted upon by God Levit. 6.5 Jam. 5.16 And in some Cases deeper Humiliation and greater breakings of Heart than in others are called for and requisite But this is rather for the evidencing to a Man 's own Conscience or unto others the sincerity and soundness of his own Faith and Repentance and so the assuring of that and clearing it up to them or to a mans self then that this righteousness of Christ may be upon him unto the Justification of Life If a Man have true Faith if he do truely believe this righteousness of Christ is upon him though he be possibly both weak in Faith and very defective in other graces of the Spirit and in new Obedience Nay all our New Obedience and all the graces of the Spirit comprized under that one word love are the effects and fruits of our being justified having this Righteousness upon us and not at all the means thereof It is a great and dangerous mistake to think that either our New Obedience or any other Grace but Faith hath any hand in this righteousnesses being upon us No it is through Faith and Faith only Vse This Doctrine shows you the reason and spring of that precious acceptance and sweet communion with God which Believers are admitted into and do injoy and also of their humble rejoycings and gloryings and triumphings before God notwithstanding their guiltiness and vileness in themselves by their many and great sinnings against him and notwithstanding their abasing Convictions and heart-wounding heart-breaking sense thereof They have sinned against God they are guilty before him as well as others for this is the Condition and State of all the World Rom 3.19 Every Mouth is stopped and can have nothing to speak against God when he judgeth and condemneth them for all the World is become guilty They are involved in the common Guilt and Misery and Ruine wherein all the Seed of Adam are plunged and they have that exceeding sinful sin dwelling in them which hath invaded all Adams posterity And moreover they have in their own Persons sinned against God some of them more than many others Yea they are all of them laid under Everlasting Convictions of it in their own Consciences which can never be blotted out that they are worthy of Eternal Death And some of them do with Paul 1 Tim. 1.15 walk up and down under such Convictions that they are amongst the very chief of Sinners and with David Psal 86.13 That they have deserved the very lowest Hell But yet nevertheless they have all of them precious acceptance with God all their sins are blotted out God remembers them no more for ever Heb. 8.12 Their trespasses are done away as if they had never been Isa 44.22 Jer. 50.20 and they do stand without fault before the Throne of God Rev. 14.5 The reason of this wonderful abounding of Grace towards them is this Righteousness of Christ is upon them Nay they are not only pardoned and pronounced righteous notwithstanding they have done so much and such vile things against God but they are also taken into special favour with him they are made the Friends and Favourites of the God of Heaven as their Father Abraham is styled by Jehosaphat 2 Chron. 20.7 and by God himself Ifa 41.8 and all Believers by Christ Cant. 5. 1. Joh. 15.14 15. yea which is somewhat higher they are made Sons and Daughters unto the Lord God Almighty 2 Cor. 6.18 Gal. 3.26 Joh 1.12 Psal 45.10 Heirs of God and of Glory Co-heirs with Christ Rom. 8.17 Well may themselves be ravished with admiration and sweetest delight and call upon others to gaze and wonder at this love as the Apostle doth 1 Joh. 3.1 that ever they who were by Nature Heirs of Hell and Children of Wrath and of the Devil and who had by their sinful hateful doings made themselves manifold times more so should ever have such love bestowed upon them as to be the Sons of God But this gives the account of it they are made thus highly accepted in that Beloved whose righteousness is upon them Nor doth the Love and Favour of God rest here in having conferred such Priviledges and Dignities upon them but it goes on still so mighty is the Torrent of Love which is let out upon them it doth bring them into a living and near Communion with God Father Son and Holy Ghost 1 Joh. 1.3 2 Cor. 13 14. Though they were afar off yet they are made nigh Ephes 2.13 and they have boldness and access with confidence unto the Father Eph. 3.12 And God even the Father doth let out his heart-love and manifest it and himself unto them Joh. 14.21 22 23. Smiling upon their Souls making them to go into his House of Wine and there in a victorious and triumphant manner displaying over them his Love sometimes even to an overwhelming Cant. 2.4 5. Now if you ask whence is this and how comes it to pass that God deals with them in a way of such marvellous Grace this Doctrine tells you the righteousness of Christ is upon them Moreover The hearts of Believers are sometimes raised up unto and filled with enlarged rejoycings humble gloryings and triumphings and that before God
〈◊〉 Gal. 2.16 and Faith is called a coming to him a phrase which implyes and holds forth not onely that while we continue in Unbelief we are at a distance from Christ and that Christ is the Object of Faith but also that by believing Christ and the Believer are brought together if I may so express it As Believers dwell in Christ and Christ in them so this is by their eating his flesh and drinking his blood or eating him Joh. 6.47 with ver 54 56. In eating and drinking the Food and the drink are incorporated and made one with the Body By eating and drinking Christs Flesh and Blood he there means believing on him The Metaphor is taken from their eating the Manna and drinking of the Rook in the Wilderness or from their eating and drinking of their Sacrifices as you know they were by a positive Ordinance to do of some of them Christ indeed first lays hold on us and joyns himself to us and we being laid hold on and drawn by him do close with him and so come to co-alesce into one mystical Person with Christ This our vital Union with him is indeed begun on his part in his laying hold on us in a preventing way but it is compleated and accomplished and becomes mutual by our believing Now being thus made one with Christ his righteousness comes to be upon us unto the Justification of Life by the Ordinance Constitution and Donation of God It is as we are thus in him and made Members of him that his righteousness is upon us As a base-born Beggar and Criminal comes to have the Honour of a Princess upon her by being Married and becoming one Flesh with an high born Prince Propos 6. Nevertheless this Righteousness of Christ hath some operation on us as well as for us antecedently to our believing It hath an operation for us For it did make Atonement procure our Peace and accomplish our Reconciliation unto God These things were done and finished they were perfected by Christ in his bringing in this righteousness It hath also an operation upon us before our believing To say nothing of Gods forbearing us and showing forth all long suffering toward us during all the days of our vanity and madness of heart nor of any other excellent Mercies given to us then which when Grace comes to be grafted on them become very serviceable for the furtherance of our Salvation because it is not altogether so clear that these things which are not of a saving Nature and which are injoyed by us while we are not under the bond of the Covenant nor living Members of Christ are procured for us by his righteousness This is certain and plain that the Spirit and Faith it self are procured for us by and given to us for this righteousness which is unto Justification upon us through Faith Phil. 1.29 Faith is purchased for us by it and our justification is purchased by it and both of them absolutely obtained And it may also be said that because Justification is absolutely procured by this righteousness therefore also Faith being procured for us by the same righteousness is for the sake of it given to us that being the way ordained of God for our being justified and it being a Mercy peculiar to the Elect and a Mercy that hath Salvation accompanying it and a leading part of the application of Christ This possibly may be one thing that hath occasioned some to say that our Justification is rather the condition of our having Faith given us than our Faith the condition of our Justification I conceive they mean that if Justification had not been absolutely procured and obtained for the Elect Faith would never have been either given them or obtained for them However most certain and undeniable it is that this Righteousness operates on us antecedently unto our believing because that preventing Grace and work of the Spirit whereby Faith is wrought in us are the effects of this Righteousness as being procured by it From what hath been said Two Things follow which I will briefly note for the further clearing up this whole Matter and then pass on to the last Enquiry proposed 1. Our being justified is not the next or immediate effect or consequence of our believing but of Christs Righteousness being upon us For between our believing and our being justified there comes in our co-alescing into one Mystical Person with Christ by this Vital Union and our having his righteousness upon us unto the Justification of Life Which latter is the next fruit and consequent of that our union to him or being in him His righteousness is upon us as we are Members of him and do stand in him And this our union to him is brought about and accomplished upon and by our believing Union to Christ goes before Communion with him Union is the immediate consequent of Faith Our having this righteousness upon us is one of the first things in our Communion with Christ We are first in Christ and so have him made righteousness to us 1 Cor. 1.30 2. Our Faith hath no hand in working out this righteousness for us nor is it any part thereof The righteousness of Christ is a garment a robe wherewith Believers are cloathed Psal 45.13 14. Isa 61.10 Rev. 19.8 But our Faith neither is a part of it nor ever took stitch in it The Apostle here in the Text doth not say this righteousness of God is by or through Faith or that it consists either in whole or in part in Faith but that it is upon us through faith Wherein he plainly distinguisheth between this righteousness and our believing and tells us it is the former namely this righteousness of God which is upon us unto justification of life whereas the latter namely faith is within us not upon us Quest 6 How comes this about and whence is it that this righteousness is through faith unto and upon all that believe Answ This Enquiry leads me to lay open before you something of the deep Counsels of the Wisdom and Grace of God in the Plot of our Salvation I shall content my self onely to point a little at the Heads of Things telling you the Story of it from its first and highest Original in these Seven Steps 1. God the Father from Eternity begat his Son the second Person in the Trinity and loving him with an infinite Love designed a special Revenue of Glory and Honour and Praise unto him as from all his Creatures in their kind and way so more eminently from and in a certain number of Mankind Even those whom he chose in him before the Foundation of the World that they should be holy and without blame before him in love having predestinated them unto the Adoption of Children by Jesus Christ to himself according to the good pleasure of his Will unto the praise of the Glory of his Grace Eph. 1.3 4 5 6. Prov. 8.22 23 24-30 The End and Upshot and last issue that all his