Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n
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A31174
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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.
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R. C.
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1698
(1698)
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Wing C113A; ESTC R34781
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22,006
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33
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By Grace are ye saved through Faith That is as I told you in the Explication of the words by Christ believed on or Faith on Christ for you must always take it with the object we are not to place Righteousness in our Act of believing for by our believing we add nothing to our justifying Righteousness but do only apply it as wholly derived from Christ alone John 5.12 He that hath the Son hath Life We are not to take up our Standing partly in the Act of Faith and partly in the Object of faith making up as a Holy Man now with the Lord was wont to say a Righteousness partly from our selves and partly from Christ But we are by Faith to go out of our selves unto Christ for our whole sole and Justifying Righteousness The Scripture does not ascribe our Justification to the Act but wholly to the Object of Faith not to our believing but to Christ believed c. Now Faith being thus taken with the Object we may hence note by way of Doctrine or Observation That the Free Grace of God and Faith may stand together They don't one take away the other Faith hath been always Requisite as the the Instrument to apprehend and take Christ our Righteousnoss that so we might in God's sight be Justified This as the Apostle tells us the Scripture plainly holds forth 〈◊〉 12. The Scripture hath concluded all under sin that the Promise by Faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe And it is said God so loved the World that he hath given his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth on him should have Everlasting Life 〈◊〉 16. Where we see Faith to be brought in as the Instrument without which neither the Promise can be appropriated nor Salvation attained When the Jaylor cryed Sirs what must I do to be saved You hear what Answer is given to the Question Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ 〈◊〉 30 And therefore as the Righteousness of Christ hath been bestowed upon Men so it is true That Faith hath been all along appointed as the Receiver thereof Faith as one well notes is our Modus Habendi it is the Way and Means by which we come to have God and Christ and an Interest in Salvation by Grace We cannot have the Son but by Faith nor be in Christ but by believing but here some may object what I have already said namely That the grace of God cannot stand with any thing in man how then may such say can it stand with Faith I answer It is true that the grace of God does not brook any thing inherent in man and of man and yet notwithstanding may well agree with faith for faith is not of man no not in man by nature for says the Apostle all men have not faith 2 Thes 3.2 but it is only in Renewed Men and Women and in them as a gift of meer grace 2dly Faith does not justifie as it is an inherent quality in us but as it apprehends Christ Jesus the Redeemer 1 Cor. 3.30 who is made of God to us Wisdom and Righteousness and Purity God does not justifie us because of any antecedent act of Faith we have lying by us and which we could produce as a price as it were and a meritorious means of our Justification God justifies us by working Faith in us and therefore the Apostle says it is of faith Rom. 4.16 that it might be of grace thus you see that Faith is not at all prejudicial to the free grace of God And this is not the only Reason because that faith is given of grace for then all the gifts of the Holy Ghost might come likewise into the Article of Justification For 3dly Faith receives only and shews to God that righteousness of Christ which God hath given ond only for that thing received and not for the receiving that it seeks to be justified Oh that these great Truths which are the fundamental Points in our Religion were more advanced by Ministers and admired by Hearers 4thly Faith receiving Christ stands with the free grace of God because it is of Grace that the believing soul laying hold on Christ is justified for the Law knows not this Righteousness but bids us bring one of our own it is therefore of the Lords grace that we have faith to lay hold on the Righteousness of his Son so that it is clear that the free grace of God and faith may stand together hence by way of Use it is so that free grace and faith may stand together and that faith is tho' not our righteousness yet of singular use and excellency in that it apprehends the righteousness of Christ and for that righteousness seeks to be justified Oh then magnifie and adore the free grace of God for this gift if it had not been for faith Christ and our souls would have never met we had never tasted any preciousness in him nor have been led out in desires after him Oh therefore be bowing your selves before the Lord for the gift of Faith bestowed on you tho withheld from others But 2dly Seeing faith tho it be instrumental yet it is not causal in the matter of our Justification let this reprove those who would put in claim for justification on account of their faith as if that were materially or influentially causal of Justification Faith it self as it is the Believers Act comes under the notion of a work it may be necessary therefore to consider what part it is that faith holds in this matter lest whiles we exclude works as inconsistent with grace I mean as a procuring cause of our Salvation we make a work of faith it is the Office or Work of Faith to make the soul live wholly on the fulness of another and to get emptied of it self to apprehend that righteousness by which grace justifies therefore such are highly reproveable who presume upon coming to God with price in their hand they never truly received the gift of Faith for that comes empty handed to God and leads the soul to God as a forlorn worthless Creature looking for justification and salvation from nothing on this side the free grace of God True faith moulds the soul into the frame of spirit old Jacob was when he cried Gen. 32.10 I am not worthy of the least of all thy mercies it bows down under a sence of its own nothingness which is fixed upon Christ's fulness But 3dly It is so that faith though not causal is very instrumental in the matter of justification and salvation Oh then as ever you would suck and be satisfied with the breasts of her consolations â—sa 66.11 as ever you would see any beauty or loveliness in faith or reap comfort and satisfaction by the abundance of faith beg earnestly that God would strenghen your faith imitate the man in the Gospel who cried Lord I believe Mark 9.23 help my unbelief q. d. Lord I cannot
most humble Supplicant at the Throne of Grace R.C. Jan. xxix 1698. A Word to the Admirers of Free Grace especially those who were hearers of these Sermons Dear Friends ONE would think the Doctrine of Free Grace is so Illustrious in Scripture as not to be spoken against but seeing it meets with great opposition from the Arminian Party who are desirous not only to be Teachers but Thunderers of the Law understanding not what they say nor whereof they affirm especially when they charge Antinomianism upon the Preachers of Free Grace who are so far from being Enemies to the Law that it may be easily made appear they are better Friends to it than our Opponents who instead of yeilding a full and perfect Obedience to the Law put it off with Lame Imperfect Performances when the Admirers of Free Grace are for having it satisfied to the full in that they plead the compleat and plenary satisfaction made by their Elder Brother the Lord Jesus 〈◊〉 1. The Opposition I say the Doctrine of Free Grace meets with was a means to Midwife these Sermons into the world which otherwise would have been buried in Oblivion the Author retaining a deep sense of his Inability for such a work as also the great discouragement he at present lies under having of late been toss'd upon the blustring Waves and Billows of Envy and Reproach which Storm was so violent and tempestuous one Wave beating in upon the Neck of another that his sinking Spirits are scarce recover'd in which Storm he 'll not tell you now how sorely he was shot at by some nor how Indecorously he was dealt with by others seeing it may be said of all these Storms as of Julian's Persecution Nubecula cito Transitura they 'll soon be blown over and then follows a perpetual Calm This short Night of Sorrow will produce such a bright and lasting Morning of Joy as will never suffer Eclipse more in which you 'll see many Heirs of Grace in Heaven whom you thought hardly sit to live upon the Earth And a matchless mercy it is that God sees not as Man sees Man looks at the outward Appearance the Worthiness and Towardliness in us above others but God looks upon us as cloathed in the Righteousness of his own Son which he of his Free Grace hath bemantled us with and wrapt us in The Design of the ensuing Discourse is to magnify God's Grace and the Freeness of it and to prove we are saved wholly by Grace from first to last our Election Redemption Conversion all is from special Discriminating distinguishing Grace we have not the least thing to Glory in as if we had made our selves to differ from those that Perish But we must wonder here and to all Eternity in Heaven that we should find Grace in the sight of the Lord. In handling the point I have endeavoured the avoiding all Rhetorical Flourishes as no way Condecent to a Truth so weighty and misterious in it self and in this it is masticated and prepared for the more unintelligible Reader The Author hopes those many Reflections cast upon him which were exhal'd out of the Bog of Ignorance and Malice will not prejudice those to whom he is known against the Truths treated upon in the following Tract because Published by him and also that his real weaknesses which he humbly acknowledges to have been not a few Will no ways Impede the chearful Embracing of and closing in with the Soul-Refreshing Truths laid down in the following Discourse He is sensible it has been his Lot to have his Actions viewed with the Green Spectacles of prejudice and you know through a Green Glass every thing appears Green and he also knows it is the Easiest thing of a Thousand for a malicious mind to soyle the Glory of the bravest and most beautiful Actions with ill and wrong Interpretations And it were well if both Ministers and People would Learn more tenderly to handle the Reputation of one another it being like a white Ball which sully's by being tost from hand to hand professors themselves being in this case too well acquainted with Addition and Multiplication And where is that Man which does not sometimes such Actions as he would not have discretion scan Integrity it self would not be aw'd by a blabbing spy It is therefore to be wisht that Men in all their Commerce would make appeals to their own Consciences would I have this measure meeted out to my own Soul And Oh! That Men would abhor speaking that of another which they would not have another speak of them or Condemn that in any one which we would not but have pardoned in our selves And Oh! know if that Man or Woman you defame be a Child of God you must expect to pay dearly for it What says God to Aaron and Miriam Saints 〈◊〉 12.8 Were you not afraid to speak against my Servant Moses seeing they were not Miriam suffers sorely for it Ver. 9.10 And so shall those who upon the Malicious Instigation of a Viperine Brood or their own base Hearts deride Reproach or disgrace any of the Members of Christ For most dangerous it is to Rake in those sores which the Blood of Christ hath healed The Author would not have dwelt so long upon what is so disgressive from the matter contained in the subsequent Tract had he not been sorely pounded in the morter of Reproach In which State he through Grace being free from that Gun-Powder Spirit which every little spark blows up has pressed after having a heart fraught full of Holy Magnanimity and Heavenly Greatness which walks so high as to slight and disregard the Frowns of Honoured Insolency and to Trample upon the Scorns and Taunts of Dunghill Malice still keeping on his way of admiring Free Grace and Relying upon it To conclude the Sermons you are presented with might have been more Polite and Accurate had the Author designed the Accumulating any praise to himself which he being no ways Ambitious of offers them to you as they are begging that for you which he often does for himself even that your Souls may be gathered to that People who have a Principle and Heart given them of God 〈◊〉 15. to say to Eternity Not unto us O Lord not unto us but unto thy Name be all the Praise of the hopes of our Salvation R. C. Salvation laid on its Right Foundation SERMON I. EPH. II. 8. For by Grace are ye saved through faith and that not of your selves it is the gift of God AS this Great and Blessed Apostle was Eminently carried forth in Magnifying the Riches of God's Free Grace in all his Epistles so was he in a Superlative manner in this to the Ephesians which in general may be called by the Apostle's own Direction his Knowledge in the Mystery of Christ Chap. 3 Ver 4. In the Two First Chapters he discourses of Election the foundation of every Believers happiness shewing the freeness of God's grace in saving his