Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	according_a	account_n	act_n	53	3	5.7695	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A33454	Methodus Evangelica, or, The gospel method of Gods saving sinners by Jesus Christ practically explained in XII propositions / by Abraham Clifford ; to which is prefixed a preface by Dr. Manton, and Rich. Baxter.	Clifford, Abraham.; Manton, Thomas, 1620-1677.; Baxter, Richard, 1615-1691.	1676 (1676)	Wing C4701; ESTC R23890	95,942	214

distinguished should ever really be separated Faith without works saith James is dead Jam. 2.26 That is in truth 't is no faith as a dead Man properly is not a Man but a meer carcass and an apparent resemblance only of a Man 'T is little better than an implicite contradiction at the best but an ens rationis a meer figment and Chimera that is no where to be found existing but in the wild imaginations of some such whom the Apostle calls absurd and unreasonable men An impenitent faith and disobedient faith an unholy and unjust faith What a strange conjunction would this be Can any Man think this to be a justifying a saving faith It 's true if we do humbly and sincerely receive and give up our selves to Jesus Christ upon Gospel termes God doth not suspend our pardon and acceptance till our holiness be compleat and our obedience grown to its full stature but upon that very act acquit us from our obligation to the Old Covenant and admit us to an incipient right to all the priviledges of the New As he that hath before witness sealed to Indentures is thereupon immediately though the things therein required are not yet discharged admitted to the possession of the premises And he that humbly submits himself to his Prince upon his Proclamation of grace and pardon is at the same time pardoned and taken under the protection of his government though he have not yet demonstrated his loyalty by any signal acts of service to him But then as sinners are thus justified upon their first solemn and serious believing in Jesus Christ or else it will be hard to say when 't is done so they must and if sincere in the first act they will otherwise in truth they never did believe and consequently never were justified they must I say and will continue in all due obedience to him according a they then promised and resolved or else their first act stands only for a cypher and signifies nothing in Gods account nor in mans neither could he as God understand our hearts There is no pardon sealed nor right to life conferred nor the least spiritual advantage to be expected from the Covenant of Grace unless our faith be such as is justified by obedience As he that seals to any Covenant must also pay his rent or he cannot expect ●o be continued in possession and ●reap the profits of it And he that is pardoned upon submission must also live in a dutiful subjection to his Prince or otherwise h● cannot hope to enjoy the benefit of his pardon By the former I mean our believing and submission to Jesus Christ we are as I have already said justified and obtain an initial right to eternal life And by the latter i. e. our holiness and obedience our right is continued and compleated But fourthly 4. It may contribute somewhat to our better understanding the consistence of free Grace with the conditionality of the Covenant and the necessi●y of our personal performance of the conditions of it in order to our eternal Salvation a little to consider the nature of Salvation and happiness and how nearly holiness and obedience are allied to it Happiness Salvation they are pleasing words As light to the eye musick to the ear Every one is delighted with the sound of them How beautiful are the feet of them that bring these glad tidings But alas how few are there of those that desire it that rightly understand what it is Ask them what they mean by being happy and they will tell you Oh! to be freed from sin they mean no the sinfulness but the punishment of sin th● curse of the Law and the wrath that is t● come And to have all tears wiped fro● their eyes and burdens taken from thei● shoulders and to rest for ever from their labours To be delivered from Hell and ete●nal burnings and to live in the midst of joy and delights in another world In a word not to be everlastingly miserable but to be at ease for ever without care and trouble and anxiety But what is there in all this more than in Mahomet's Paradise or the Poets Elyzium If freedome from misery were properly happiness then non-entities might be happy and the readiest way to make us so would be ●o annihilate us and turn us into our first nothing For that which is not is at ease and cannot be miserable And if meer sensitive pleasures and delights were sufficient to create beatitudes then the brute creatures might be numbred amongst the blessed and the most effectual means to make Man so were to change his nature and turn him into a beast since they are observed to have the quickest sense and so most capable of enjoying the pleasures of it And yet this is all that the generality of the world understand by happiness and indeed all that they desire And according to these false conceptions of happiness are also their notions of free Grace framed and modelled To be created over again in Christ unto good works and be pure in heart and holy in all manner of conversation To live the life of God and be righteous as he is righteous and be followers of him as dear children c. These things are seldom instanced in or taken notice of either as any much less as the most essential parts of our happiness or any fruit and evidence of free Grace But when they would set forth this arraied in her richest robes of glory and greatest Majesty they instance in God pardoning sinners and blotting out their iniquities and justifying the ungodly and casting their sins into the bottom of the Sea and scattering them as a thick cloud and redeeming them from the curse and freeing them from Hell and condemnation c. This they cry is Grace and wonderful Grace to sinners And so indeed it is and wonderful beyond what 't is possible for any finite creature to express or comprehend And therefore my design is not to shadow or eclipse any part of that unspeakable glory that ariseth hence to the free Grace of God But yet let me add is there no free Grace but pardoning and justifying Grace to be admired And may not men without offence be minded of it and be desired to consider it Tell me what greater favour and kindness and that is properly Grace as hath been shewn can God possibly manifest to any creature than to make it eternally happy And what greater happiness can he possibly bestow upon him than to make him like and conformable to himself The true and formal notion of happiness lies not in negatives but positive fruitions Not in being freed from misery but in the enjoyment of all possible perfection of which a created nature is capable And all the perfection competible to a creature consists formally in his conformity and assimilation to God the original fountain of being and perfection That creature that hath all excellencies and perfections proper and competible to its own

sins and save their Souls Only he here declares that upon his Son's account he will do this for us provided we will take them upon his terms and entirely yield our selves up in subjection to him that hath purchased them for us But is it not frequently in Scripture called a Testament and the New Testament and doth not the Author to the Hebrews argue it to be so from the death of Christ whom he there expresly terms a Testator Heb. 9.16 17. 'T is true 't is here called a Testament and Christ a Testator But who knows not that the same thing may have different denominations according as it relates to different objects Thus Jesus Christ himself he is called a Prophet a Priest a King a Surety an Advocate c. But will it therefore follow that he 's no Advocate because a Surety or no King because a Priest and Prophet And so again the same Gospel Dispensation 't is exprest by several names 't is called a Gift a Promise a Royal Law a Testament a Covenant but we cannot thence infer that 't is no proper Covenant because term'd a Testament any more than that 't is no Law because a Gift and Promise All therefore that can rationally be deduced from hence is only this That there is some analogy or resemblance betwixt this Evangelical Conveyance and those Things the names of which it bears Thus as the Good Things therein dispenced are freely given to us so 't is a Gift As God therein becomes engaged to give them so 't is a Promise As we thereby are commanded and directed to obedience so 't is a Royal Law As 't is founded in the blood of Christ and became of force to our advantage upon his Death so 't is a Testament But still so as that our actual consent to the terms therein propounded are required in order to enjoying the Blessings promised and therefore still a Covenant And if we cast but our eye back upon the place before mentioned Heb. 9. we shall there find that the Mosaical Dispensation under which the People of Israel were is there also as well as that of the Gospel called a Testament which yet was and must by any that reads Exod. 24. be acknowledged to be a Covenant in a proper sense i. e as before exprest a mutual stipulation betwixt God and the Creature I but 't is not only called a Testament but the original word saith a Reverend Divine in the Hebrew and Greek Language which we translate Covenant signifies no more in the judgment of some learned Criticks than a Will or Testament Who these Criticks are is not mentioned nor shall I here stand to enquire The original word which we commonly translate Covenant in the Hebrew is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that 't is well known comes from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies either to chuse or to kill and eat which is the more usual signification of the word In the former it denotes a thing which two make choice of and mutually agree about In the latter it evidently relates to the usual manner of making Covenant in those days which was by Sacrifice the Parties passing through the midst of it being divided and thereby declaring their consent and confirming the Agreement Thus we read Jer. 34.19 And long before this the like observance we find in God's first covenanting with Abraham Gen. 15.10 which was also as appears from the Testimony of their own Prophets and possibly by derivation from the Jews in use amongst the ancient Heathen So that take the word in what sense we please either as it signifies to chuse or to kill and divide it is so far from being appropriate to a Testament as that 't is most properly applicable to a Covenant And therefore commonly rendred by those best skilled in the Hebrew Language by Foedus and Pactum And as for the Greek word which we translate Covenant though according to its etymology it may signifie to dispose or order any thing in general whether it be by Free Gift or Promise or Testament or Covenant or any other way yet it also signifies to bargain or agree or Covenant with another as is well known to such as are skilled in that Language But suppose after all that the original words should import no more than a Will or Testament yet 't will not therefore follow that they are not to be taken in any other sense Since words we know receive their principal stamp and authority from common use which not rarely gives them a various yea sometimes a far different sense from that which they received at their first birth and primitive institution The great thing therefore to be considered is not what these words may or according to their original notations ought to signifie but rather what is the true and most proper Scriptural use of them for from thence especially we must take the signification of all such words as are expressive of revealed Truths But besides what hath been already said upon this Argument take these following Considerations which will more abundantly evidence that the Gospel Dispensation is properly Foederal and not meerly Testamental and that both the Hebrew and Greek words import as much 1. This is the most frequent use of these words in Scripture As for the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 't is almost every where in the Old Testament made use of to signifie a Covenant but rarely if at all to signifie a meer Will and Testament For the proof of this it were easie to produce a cloud of Witnesses but these few following may be sufficient to shew us the true use and meaning of it Deut. 4.13 and 18. ver Levit. 26.9.14 15 and 16. verses Josh 24.25 And for the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 though it sometimes be rendred a Testament yet to any one that shall but peruse these following Texts instead of many more which might be alledged 't will be sufficiently evident that 't is also used to express a formal Covenant Acts 7.8 Rom. 9.4 2 Corinth 3.15 Gal. 3.15 and 17. ver Eph. 2.12 Besides 't is here to be noted that this Greek word which the Writers of the New Testament so frequently make use of is borrowed from the Septuagint who constantly render the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So that if that according both to its notation and use signifies a Covenant so must this also being always put for it in the most authentick translation of the Old Testament whence 't is taken 2. The account which Scripture gives us of the way and method in which God hath been pleased to treat with Man concerning eternal life and happiness doth necessarily infer that 't is by Covenant in a proper sense that these Blessings are made over to us Consult but those two famous places before mentioned Gen. 17. where God treats with Abraham and Exod. 24. where God

Doctrine of Rome in this particular And as to same others who also plead for the necessity of holiness and righteousness though they in great measure reject the Popish works and wholly disclaim any merit by them and possibly acknowledge Christs satisfaction though since they speak some of them so darkly and undervaluingly of it that may be questioned Yet the efficacious influences of the Sacred Spirit for their assistance in the performance of those acts of righteousness they plead for are not so much acknowledged by them the creature being thought sufficiently instructed with power from nature and reason to repent and believe and obey c. according to the pleasure of his own will And though they seem much to advance the Soveraignty of God over the creature whilst they ascribe to God nine hundred ninety and nine degrees of power and but one of an hundred only to Man yet in conclusion the matter comes to this that this one single degree of power in the creature may and doth at pleasure baffle and defeat and put to flight and triumph over those 999. which are in God i. e. The creatures weakness is stronger than Gods power In short if the question be asked them who made thee to differ The answer will be Ego meipsum But is there any thing said in this whole discourse that lays any foundation for these opinions or that doth so much as add one stone to the building Are our own works any where affirmed to be either the matter of our justification or the meritorious cause of eternal life Or that our duties are performed by our own natural strength without the effectual assistance of the Spirit of God Where is nature and reason advanced above Grace or our own righteousness set up to justle Christ from his Throne and rob him of his Crown Is it not more than once affirmed and proved that holiness and obedience are not the causes but conditions only of our Salvation And that 't is impossible for any creature much less one that is degenerate to merit any thing at the hands of God And that we are justified not by works not by our holiness and obedience which follow justification as the payment of the rent doth sealing to the Indentures but by faith in Jesus Christ receiving him in all his offices And that the several duties of the Covenant are performed not by the sole power of nature but by strength received from the Spirit of God and by the daily supplies of his Grace So that we are doubly indebted to God first to his command to obey that and then to his Grace for enabling us to obey And will ●ny one that is not profoundly ignorant call ●his by the name of Popery and Pelagianism or have so much confidence as to ●ensure and condemn it as a Doctrine in●onsistent with the Grace of the Gospel and ●hat righteousness that is by Christ Is not ●his in Judes language to speak evil of ●hose things which they know not And ●o proclaim themselves unskilled in the words ●f righteousness and that Doctrine which is ●ccording to Godliness But suppose the agreement betwixt faith ●nd works Christs righteousness and our ●wn free Grace and the necessity of obedi●nce in the business of Salvation could not ●fficiently be evidenced to our present rea●on must they therefore be exploded as ab●●rdities and untruths and things absolute●● irreconcileable We must then throw a●ay not only some of the greatest mysteries 〈◊〉 our Religion but many of the most evi●●nt phenomena and appearances in Philosophy The influences of the Load-stone the ebbing and flowing of the Sea c. mus● be rejected as fables and our senses no mor● be credited in what they see since the manner how these things are done is not yet sufficiently understood and explained Thing● themselves we know are evident but the modes and manners of things are almost every where latent and unaccountable Tha● therefore which we have to do in all matter● of Divine faith and practice is only this duly to inform and satisfy our selves wha● God hath certainly revealed and made know● to us as his mind and will concerning 〈◊〉 which being done and our minds being satisfied that God hath said it and that 〈◊〉 is the plain meaning of his words we ar● then without any further debate to believe and do according to his word though possibly at present we cannot so well discove● that mutual accord and agreement whic● there is betwixt those several truths reveale● by him The positive and plain conclusion of Scripture are humbly to be believed thoug● they cannot be reconciled by us For this suppose will easily be granted by all as unquestionable That the will of God if w● certainly know it to be his will is the u●doubted rule and standard both of faith an● practice We must believe what 't is certai● he hath revealed And we must do wha● 't is certain he hath commanded For the will of God is not to be disputed but obeyed And doth not the Apostle expresly tell us that this is the will of God even our sanctification 2 Thes 4.3 He that hath said he will blot out our transgressions for his own sake and remember ●ur sins no more Isa 43.25 he hath also ●●id th●t we must repent and be converted ●hat our sins may be blotted out when the days of ●efreshing shall come from the presence of the ●ord Acts 3.19 He that hath said that ●e are justified freely by his grace through the ●edemption that is in Christ Rom. 3.24 he ●ath also said we are justified by faith ver ●8 and that we must believe that we may ●e justified Gal. 2.16 He that saith we ●●e made the righteousness of God in Christ ●ho was made sin for us 2 Cor. 5.21 he also ●●ith that except our righteousness speaking ●ere expresly of moral and personal righte●usness exceed the righteousness of the Scribes ●nd Pharisees we shall in no case enter into the ●ingdom of God Matth. 5.20 And he that ●ith we are saved by grace and not of our ●●●ves Eph. 2.8 and according to his mercy ●●d not by works of righteousness which we ●●ve done Tit. 3.5 he also saith that we ●ust work out our own salvation with fear and ●●mbling Phil. 2.12 and that without ho●●ess we shall not be saved Heb. 12.14 Is not all this plain and easy to him that will but understand God hath said it 'T is his will exprest in terms that we must repent and believe and be righteous and work about our own Salvation and follow after holiness that we may not perish but have everlasting life Who then shall shall dare to argue and dispute against it At least here is no ground you see for any humble and sober mind that is but sincerely willing to be governed by the Divine will so to do but rather seriously to apply himself to the performance of these duties that God hath so expresly injoined and made necessary to our Salvation The great reason therefore why men profess themselves so much offended with this Doctrine 't is not because it is or because they in truth believe it to be an enemy to the Cross and Grace of Christ but rather because it is an enemy to their lusts and passions and presumptuous neglects of God An enemy to their present ease and pleasure and worldly satisfactions the lusts of the flesh the lusts of the eye and the pride of life An enemy to their false and carnal hopes and empty professions of Christianity Therefore it is that they thus condemn this Doctrine because otherwise they cannot justifie their own faith and practice that are so manifestly condemned by it They must have a cheap Religion Faith without works pardon without the trouble of repentance an Heaven without holiness and a free Grace to save them without obedience or else they are miserable and undone to eternity But be not deceived saith the Apostle God is not mocked for whatsoever a man soweth that shall be also reap For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption but he that soweth to the spirit shall of the spirit reap life everlasting Gal. 6.7 8. For if ye live after the flesh ye shall die but if ye through the spirit do mortifie the deeds of the body ye shall live Rom. 8.13 For God will render to every man according to his deeds To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality eternal life But unto them that are contentious and do not obey the truth but obey unrighteousness indignation and wrath tribulation and anguish upon every soul of man that doth evil of the Jew first and also of the Gentile But glory honour and peace to every man that worketh good to the Jew first and also to the Gentile for there is no respect of persons with God Rom. 2.6 7 8 9 10 11. Be ye therefore steadfast and unmoveable always abounding in the work of the Lord for as much as ye know that your labour shall not be in vain in the Lord 1 Cor. 15.58 FINIS