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	believe_v	word_n	1,745	5	4.0513	3	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

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

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

the ends for which it is intended For since it hath only the place of a means as was said if you give it all that sufficiency and honour that is of right due and belonging to it when I assert it sufficient to its designed end though I deny it to be sufficent to many other purposes for which it never was appointed As he that saith ●he mortgage given for his security is well able to discharge the debt for which 't is engaged acknowledgeth all that is proper to be said of it Nor would it be thought any disparagement this being granted neither to the owner or to the security given to say that 't is not sufficient to pay such other debts and bonds for the payment of which it never was nor ever was intended that it should be obliged And so much by way of answer to the first objection But secondly 2. As the method of Gods saving sinners by Covenant in the sense before expressed it no diminution or prejudice to the all-sufficiency of Christs satisfaction and righteousness duely explained and understood so neither is it as pretended any way destructive or opposite to the doctrine of free Grace rightly stated according to the rules of the Gospel There is indeed a Free Grace which some Men vainly fancy to themselves to which I confess this doctrine is diametrically opposite but not to that which we have recommended to us in and warranted by the Scriptures But that this may be the more clearly evidenced and made good these five things must here be done 1. We must in the first place rightly state the notion of Free Grace 2. We must duely distinguish betwixt causes and conditions 3. We must take notice of that order in which the blessings of the Covenant are dispensed and in what order the Conditions of it are to be applied for the obtaining of them 4. We must inquire into and inform our selves aright concerning the nature of Salvation and happiness and see how the duties of Christianity stand related to it 5. And lastly we must not forget by whose strength and assistance all our duties are performed 1. We must here rightly state the notion and limits of Free Grace For herein lies the great errour of the World and that from which also arise those many dangerous mistakes that are concerning it They have wild and strange and unbounded conceptions and ideas of Gods Free Grace in their minds and therefore no wonder that they give us so bad a Comment of it in their lives and conversations For God to accept of their good wishes and desires as they call them though their lives are still wicked and unreformed And to pardon Sinners that have worn out all their dayes in carnal delights and pleasures and manifest rebellion against God only upon their crying out in the last moment of their lives Lord have mercy on them and receive their Souls And to be so pitiful and compassionate to his Creatures as not to damn or destroy them because he hath made them And to give them Heaven and Happiness for the sake of Christ though they never truly believed in him or seriously minded Heaven all their dayes or regarded to please God and live in obedience to his Law And bestow eternal recompenses upon them Kingdoms and Crowns of Glory though they have sate still all their time and never worked in the vineyard or fought in the battle or run in the race that was set before them This is that which generally Men call by the name of the Free Grace of God and by which they hope to be saved as well as others as well as the best as they commonly speak But is this indeed the Grace of God That which he assumes to himself as his Glory and which he hath revealed to us in the Gospel as the foundation of our Faith To pardon and save such I confess even the most impenitent and unbelieving and impure Sinners in the world the very Heirs of wrath and Sons of perdition this I grant would be Grace and free Grace too Yea but where have we any warrant or encouragement from the word to believe that there is any such Grace in God or Jesus Christ whereby such sinners shall be saved And yet might those be owned for the legitimate and true born notions of free Grace which the wild imaginations of Men may at ●leasure create to themselves it were easy to give a more large and extensive description of it To proclaim liberty to the captives now in Hell that are weeping and wailing and blaspheming God because of their torments And the opening of the prison to the Devil and his Angels that are bound in chains reserved for the blackness of darkness for ever And to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord to all the inhabitants of the earth that they all might be saved Jews and Turks and Pagans that none might perish tell me would not this be Grace and free too with an emphasis Yea but all Grace you see that we may f●ncy is not saving Grace Nor all that neither the Grace of God which we fondly imagine to be in God I have said all this to shew how much the generality of the world are mistaken in their conceptions of free Grace and what necessity there is to come to some stated and limited notions concerning it which must undoubtedly be such as may be worthy of God and suitable to the nature of a reasonable Creature Such as may be consistent with the infinite wisdom of God and holiness of his nature and truth and veracity of his word Such as may uphold the credit of his Laws and Government in the world and retain the Creature in his due subjection to and d●pendance upon his Maker Such also as may be agreeable to his Sons great design in dying and suffering for M●n which was to mend and reform the world and to make Men holy and righteous and conformable to God and not to encourage them to sin and wickedness by their hopes of mercy and impunity These boundaries and limitations must necessarily be supposed to all the dispensations of Gods free Grace to the Creature since for God to act otherwise which is not to be imagined would be both dishonourable to himself and contradictory to the undertaking of his Son in redeeming the world Where by the way wee see how greatly they are mistaken who ascribe this free Grace to God under a pretence of giving the more honour to him when in truth nothing can be said more unworthy of him Suppose the Magistrate should set forth a Proclamation wherein he declares it to be his Royal pleasure that all that have been guilty of any crime whatsoever Murderers and Traytors and Rebells the worst and vilest of malefactors should without distinction be pardoned and set at liberty though they never humbled themselves to him or reformed their lives or promised allegeance to his person and Government but still persisted in their