Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n
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A93165
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The widow's mite cast into the treasury for the repairing the breaches of the temple being an essay to explicate the sufferings of our blessed Saviour, and vindicate them from the imputation of a guilty sinner in the sight of God the father : with some reconciling paradoxes to be soberly enquired into / by J. St. N. in the 91st year of his age, a student in St. Paul's epistles.
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J. St. N. (John St. Nicholas), 1604-1698.
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1695
(1695)
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Wing S345A; ESTC R42964
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24,178
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35
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Heaven as well as on Earth for the compleating our Redemption His work on Earth was compleat as to the meritorious work of Teaching and Suffering But for the effectual Application of it the Will of the Father was to be done in Heaven his Will on Earth was done as it were in an hour but his Will in Heaven is a work of Ages so long as the Church is in Gathering so long is the Church in Redeeming until all be compleat in the Resurrection of the Body and therefore our Saviour enters upon this part of Redemption at his Resurrection and ascends to the right hand of the Father to receive the promised Ministerial Spirit to give forth for the proclaiming this glad Tidings and perswading Men to receive it and then to be a Priest for ever at the Fathers right Hand after the order of Melchisadech whose Throne is Justice and Judgment and Mercy and Truth go before his Face He is made a Throne of Grace a Mercy-seat for sinners to address unto to obtain Remission of Sin by and through Faith in his Blood and all good things promised And he is entred into Glory not only to Judge his people in perfecting the Work of their Redemption according to the Law of his Grace but also to succour them in all Dangers and Temptations for which end he is beyond the reach of all his Adversaries and made the Monarch of the World tho not a worldly Monarch the King of Kings and Lord of Lords The Fourth Enquiry For what great Ends or Effects it was necessary that Christ should suffer these things and enter into Glory This is an unsearchable depth it is safe for us to keep to what is revealed and to bring our notions to the Text and not the Text to our conceptions There are Four Principal Ends or Effects mentioned in the Scriptures As 1. To Manifest the Grace of God in its Freedom Riches and Extent 2. To Manifest the Marvellous and Manifold Wisdom of God 3. To Manifest and Vindicate the Severity of God's Judgments against the Neglectors and Contemners of his Mercy 4. To Manifest the sympathetical Power of Christ in succouring his Church in her Suffering for his Name sake Of the First End And First Of the Freedom of the Grace of God This Freedom of the Grace of God in the work of Man's Redemption seems to exclude any Consideration of a penal satisfaction to the wrath and vindictive Justice of God by the Mediatour as Antecedent to the Remission of Adams Sin but implys that God was pleased to remit Adams Sin upon the Account of the Mediators obedience to the Justice of his free promise without a penal Satisfaction so that the face of Man's Redemption from the beginning was Mercy and Truth and not vindictive Justice This doth abundantly appear in Holy Scripture As First In the Old Testament in Exod. 34. when God proclaims His Name it is Mercy in the first place forgiving Iniquity Transgression and Sin and Judgment in the Second place In the description of the Throne of God The Prophet David describes God sitting on his Throne to have Mercy and Truth go before his Face Ps 89.14 And David describes his own Throne as King of Israel who was to be like unto God in his Government in this manner Ps 101.1 I will sing of Mercy and Judgment unto thee O Lord will I sing And the Evangelical Prophet Isa 55.8 after he had promised abundance of Pardon without any penal satisfaction he Answers the Objections which unbelieving Men are ready to make against this Free Mercy of God as if it were against his just proceedings he Answers all Mens thoughts about it with this saying from the Lord My ways are not as your ways nor my thoughts as your thoughts In the New Testament our blessed Saviour Himself declares this glorious Truth in a Parable Matth. 18.23 c. he saith the Kingdom of Heaven which is the Kingdom of Grace is not like the Man that took him that owed him 500 Pence by the Throat and said pay me that thou owest me before he would shew him any kindness But the Kingdom of Heaven is like to a King that took Account of his Servant who owed him a Thousand Talents and when he had nothing to pay upon his Intreaty forgave him all And our Apostle the Teacher of the Gentiles declares the Doctrine of Christs Redemption in this manner Rom. 3.24 25. he saith the Redemption that is by Jesus Christ is freely by Grace and this freedom he explains by two remarkable Expressions in the Context the first expression is that he saith the Redemption of Christ declares the Righteousness of God for the Remission of Sins which Righteousness of God cannot be understood of his vindictive Justice but of his Mercy and Truth in Performance of the Grace of the New Covenant according to St. John's Expression if we confess our sin God is righteous and just to forgive sin 1 John 1.9 The Second Expression is in vers 28. where he saith we are justified by Faith without the law of Works Where without the Law of Works must necessarily exclude all Penal Satisfaction for breaking the Law The Notion of Christs being Adams surety for debt as bound in the same Bond with him is Defective for these Reasons As 1. It supposeth Christs satisfaction to penal vindictive Justice to be the first Act of Christs Mediation which is against the absolute freedom of the Law of Grace 2. It supposeth Christ to be guilty of Adams Sin which is against the Reward of the Law of Grace 3. It infers that Christ should restore Adam to the state wherein he was before he sinned which is against the Nature of the Law of Grace Secondly Christ suffering these things and entring into Glory doth also manifest the Riches and full measure of Grace not only for the pardon of transgressors against the Law of Works but also for obtaining a new Heart and Adoption to Eternal Life And Thirdly The Extent also of Divine Grace is hereby manifested because Christ did not only suffer and enter into Glory as the Son of David of the seed of Abraham but also as the Son of Adam in the common nature of Mankind Luk. 3. Of the Second End viz. Christ suffered these things and entred into Glory to manifest the manifold Wisdom of God in the Work of Man's Redemption Ephes 3.10 The Wisdom of God in this Glorious Work is neither comprehensible nor expressible by us it may suffice to observe what the Scripture saith touching the marvellous Constitution of the Person of the Redeemer and the Order of the Work in us and upon us The Person of Christ is sometimes set forth by a description of the Divine Nature as he is called the Son of God sometimes by a description of the Human Nature as he is called the Son of Man sometimes by Expressions that signifie the admirable Union of both Expressions referring to the Divine Nature are
Eph. 1.13 3. That a Christian doth not walk worthy of his baptismal calling unless he endeavour after the Power which is Faith working by love to GOD and to Man in Deed and in Truth 4. That the Power is attainable by constant Prayer to our God Now it 's beyond all dispute that St. James agrees with St. Paul in the Faith as the Apostle of Christ and therefore when he says Not by Faith only he means not by the form only or the notion and profession of Faith only and when he saith by Works he doth not mean Works of the Law which Paul excludes but Works of the Power of Faith as the Instances in Abraham and Rahab shew which Works Paul includes And when he says a Man is justified by Works he means as Paul doth a Man is not only made just by Faith by the Ministry of Faith but he is also accounted a just man in the sight of God on tryal of his Faith when the power of it appears in the truth of the Work Touching the distinction of the Righteousness of our Persons into inherent and imputed This distinction seems not according to Scripture for that which was imputed to Abraham for acceptable Righteousness in the sight of God was inherent in him and it 's said Faith was imputed unto Abraham for Righteousness and not Righteousness imputed to Abraham's Faith This distinction may seem to be rectified thus Inherent Righteousness is spoken of in Scripture in reference to GOD and to Man 1. In reference to God his Righteousness is his Mercy and his Truth his Mercy in making Promises his Truth in performing Promises which is his rewarding Justice and inflicting Punishment for contempt of Mercy which is his revenging Justice Psal 98.2 3. Psal 103.17 2. In reference to Man inherent Righteousness is imputed or not imputed 1. Inherent Righteousness imputed or accounted by God for acceptable Righteousness is the Righteousness of Faith Rom. 4.11 13. 2. Inherent Righteousness not imputed of God for acceptable Righteousness in his sight 1. Is Pharasaical Righteousness Mat. 5.20 Or 2. Philosophical Righteousness Galat. 5.6 Tit. 3.5 Ephes 2.8 9. Which is also called our Righteousness Isa 64.6 our own Righteousness of the Law Phil. 3.9 the birth of the will of man John 1.13 the Flesh Rom. 4.1 And the Righteousness of Faith is also called the Righteousness of God by Faith Phil. 3.9 the Righteousness of God by Christ ministerially 2 Cor. 5.21 and Righteousness regnant Rom. 5.21 and the New Creature Gal. 6.15 which consists in a new Heart with Forgiveness Jer. 31.31 Touching the measure of Knowledge in a weak Christian If a Christian sincerely believes that God forgives his Sins for Christ's sake he humbly seeking for Mercy and do also believe the love of Christ in giving himself a Sacrifice and Offering of sweet-smelling savour unto God and be willing to follow God and Christ as a Child according to the measure of Light he hath received or may receive he may walk comfortably and joyfully in the assured hope of Eternal Life although he know very little of the method of Divine Grace or it may be misunderstand much This is gathered from the compendious expressions in Eph. 4.32 and Eph. 5.1 2. Be ye courteous and tender hearted forgiving one another as God for Christ's sake forgave you Be ye followers of God as dear Children and walk in love as Christ hath loved us and given himself for us an offering and sacrifice of a sweet-smelling savour unto God And we know but in part and prophecy but in part Touching the Righteousness of Christ The Righteousness of Christ the Mediator is an incomprehensible Mystery but according to our manner of conceiving the Righteousness of Christ may be said to be inherent imputed and communicated or imparted or applyed 1. Inherent is the same with the Father in Mercy and Truth I and the Father are one 2. Imputed is the Righteousness of Christ's Person imputed to the Nature of Man in his Person making his Sufferings meritorious 1 Cor. 11.24 This is my body which is broken for you Here the Son of God owns the Body or Human Nature and the Sufferings in Man's Nature to be his Acts 20.28 John 16.14 Gal. 2.20 3. Communicated Isa 45.24 They shall say in the Lord have I righteousness and strength Isa 54.17 Their Righteousness is of me saith the Lord. Jer. 23.6 They shall call him the Lord our Righteousness Psal 96.12 In righteousness shall he judge the world and his people in truth Touching admitting to the Lord's Supper The requiring admittance to the Lord's Supper upon declaring Experiences is dangerous and unknown to the first Churches The safe way of admittance is upon owning the Baptismal Faith and Engagement not denying it by Works Acts 2.41 42. Touching Election There is in Scripture a threefold Election or three degrees of it 1. Election in the Divine Purpose Eph. 1.11 2. Election in the Baptismal Calling 2 Pet. 1.10 Col. 3.12 as there was Election in the Circumcision Calling Deut. 7.7 This is called the Spiritual Beginning Gal. 3.3 the Beginning of the Good Work Phil. 1.6 and the Doctrine of the Beginnings of Christ Heb. 6.1 3. Election made sure confirmed sealed witnessed earnested by the peculiar Spirit of Adoption 2 Pet. 1.10 11. Mat. 22.14 1 Pet. 5.10 Revel 2.17 THE CONCLUSION TO THE READER THIS kind of Writing may be excused from the Words of our Apostle in Phil. 1.10 That you may discern things that differ and in 2 Tim. 2.16 Studying to divide aright the word of truth For the Church is much dis-edified by false and impertinent Distinctions And it is excusable upon this Subject from what Dr. Owen says in his Book entituled The Doctrine of Justification by Faith through the imputed Righteousness of Christ In Page 38. of that Book he saith This is the substance of what is pleaded for That Men should renounce all Confidence in themselves and every thing that may give countenance thereto betaking themselves to the Grace of God by Christ alone for Righteousness and Salvation There is nothing said here contrary to this Saying of his and what is said different to his Sentiments is excused by what he says in the last words of his Preface to the Reader his words are these Whereas saith he the principal design of this Discourse is to state the Doctrine of Justification from the Scripture and to confirm it by Testimonies thereof I shall not esteem it spoken against unless our Exposition of Scripture Testimonies and the application of them to the present Argument be disproved by Just Rules of Interpretation and another sence of them be evinced Thus he Nothing is supposed to be said here that will be offensive to any that are not too much addicted to a Party which Humour is under a severe Reprimand by our Apostle 1 Cor. 4.8 Now ye are full now ye are rich ye have reigned as Kings without us and I would to God ye did reign that we might reign with you FINIS