Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A71036
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Sixteene questions of seriovs and necessary consequence, propounded unto Mr. John Cotton of Boston in New England together with his answer to each question.
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Cotton, John, 1584-1652.
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1644
(1644)
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Wing S3928; ESTC R17699
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8,425
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18
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unworthinesse to receive him Though he may obtain 1. Restraining grace to keep him from known Sinnes 2. Constraining or exciting Grace to provoke him to Duty or else his Conscience sometimes terrified by the Law would flye in his face And though in this way he may find Comfort as the Stony ground did and Thorny Soyle much more and so from this great Change he may build up to himselfe the faith or Assurance of his Iustification yet in truth in so doing he buildeth upon such a Sanctification which is indeed a sandy Foundation 2. To give my Sanctification for an evident ground or Cause of whereby a man beleeveth himselfe to be justified may be a building of Justification upon Sanctification in another Case to wit when we shall give a man no other ground or Evidence of his Justification but onely from the Evidence of his Sanctification For the Publican did not as the Pharisee thought himselfe did see any evident fruits of his Sanctification but was deeply affected with the sense of his Sinnes so that he smote his Breast with the Anguish of sinne and durst not lift up his eyes to Heaven through Confusion of face for Sinne but only cryed out to God to be mercifull unto him in this sinfull estate and yet by our Saviours own judgement this man went home justified rather then the other Luk. 18. though he saw no Evidence of his Sanctification but rather Evidence of his sinfull Corruption If any of our Brethren doubt hereof I would pray them to call to mind what some of them that lived in Essex have heard our Brother Hooker and Mr. Rogers also teach soundly and argue out of the Word that there be saving graces which are not sanctifying but are wrought before Sanctification which yet may beare Witnesse to a safe estate and I may adde to Fellowship with Christ for there is no safety but in him before the Soule can see any Evidence of his Sanctification Propos 4. A man may give his Sanctification for an evident ground or Cause of his faith whereby he is justified and yet sometimes not build his Iustification upon his Sanctification nor be under a Covenant of Workes but onely sometimes goe aside to a Covenant of Workes As in Case when a man is truely justified and seeth it not he doth then betake him to his Workes for the hastning of his Assurance As Abraham when he had long waited for the promised Seed thought he was justified by beleeving the free Promise yet for the more speedy satisfying of his Faith and Hope he turned aside to goe into Hagar who was a Type of the Covenant of Workes for the hastning of his sight and fruition of the promised Seed So there be sundry Children of Abraham even of his elect Seed that having beene driven out of their Sins by a Spirit of Bondage and finding a need of Christ and their owne insufficiencie and unworthinesse to receive him doe therefore seek and wait for him by the mighty Power of God in every Ordinance and Duty Such men are already truely justified though it may be as yet they doe not know so much because this their seeking and waiting for Christ in the Sense of their own Need Emptines and unworthinesse is a true Act of a lively justifying faith But now if such souls because God may tarry long before they cau see and feele Christ given to them shall therefore seeke Christ in their owne Workes of Sanctification and in the Promises and Blessing given to such Workes and not finding such Workes can finde no Peace nor Assurance Such Soules though they doe not build their Justification upon their Sanctification for indeede they were truely justified before while they depend on CHRIST for Righteousnesse according to the free Promise of Grace and so are truely under a Covenant of Grace yet they goe aside to a Covenant of Workes as unto Hagar to bring forth to the sight of Christ the seed of Promise whom they so long waited for The fayling of such Soules is this that they having Christ layd in their Hearts as the Foundation of their Justification though they know not so much Upon this golden and precious Foundation they build Hey and Stubble in seeking and setling and grounding their faith of Assurance not upon Christ nor upon the free Promise of Grace nor upon the Witnesse of the Spirit it selfe applying the same but upon the Holinesse of their owne Workes In which Case they are often put to many and sad Doubts ever and anon renewed upon them till the faith and confidence which they had built upon their owne Workes be at length burnt up with the Fire of Temptation and the clearer Day-light of Gods Word and Spirit And then though their owne Workes and their owne Building thereupon be burned yet their Soules will be saved in the Day of the Lord Jesus Propos 5. The Soule that hath lyen under the Terrors of the Law and commeth afterwards to see and feele his need of Christ and his owne strength and worth to receive him and doth depend upon Christ for Righteousnesse and Mercy he may come in this Estate to see by his renewed Knowledge his dependance on Christ and withall some fruits of Sanctification that flow there-from as Prayer sometimes with unutterable Sighes and Groanes Brokernesse of Spirit Mourning for sight of Christ Longing desire after the sincere Milk of the Word love of the Ministery that wounded him c. And seeing God helping him here he may thereby gather that he that hath begun to helpe him will go on to helpe him still But yet to give these for certaine Evidences of his Justification the poore Soule dare not though another Christian of better discerning may justly so apply to him as good Evidences of his justified estate But neverthelesse he will still seeke and wait for further and clearer Fellowship with Christ till the Spirit of God himselfe doe witnesse to him the gracious thoughts of God towards him in a free Promise of Grace before he can plead his owne good workes whether after Conversion or before for good Evidences of his Justification For as it hath beene observed by some of our godly learned Countrymen the graces of Gods Spirit in our Soules are like the Stars in the Firmament which shine but with a borrowed Light from the Sun If the Sun were hid from them their Light would be obscure so is the light of our graces if the Spirit of God doe hide his light from us Propos 6. But now if the Spirit of God do shew abroad his Light into such a Soule and give him a cleare sight of his estate in a free Promise of grace in Christ such a one evidertly discerneth both his Justification and his Sanctification and the one of them giving good Evidence to the other the Blood to the Water and the Water to the Blood and the Spirit to both 1 John 5.6.8 And thus in evidencing his Justification by his Sanctification he doth not build his Justification upon his Sanctification nor hereby goe on in a Covenant of workes nor goe aside to it Propos 7. But though the Soule may gather Knowledge of his estate from such Evidences of Sanctification yet if he shall therefore build his justifying Faith upon such evidences he shall againe goe aside to a Covenant of Workes though his Person may be under a Covenant of grace For justifying Faith cannot safely build or rest upon any â—round save onely upon Christ and his Righteousnesse Quest XIV Whether a Christian be not further active after Regeneration then before if there be a difference wherein it lyeth Answer A Christian is more active after Regeneration then before before Regeneration we are not active at all in any spirituall Christian Action no nor in Proximam Potentiam Passive to receive helpe from God to doe it but after Regeneration Acti Agimus If we act and goe forth in the strength of our own spirituall Gifes without looking up to Christ ve fall as Peter did Matth. 26.23 Quest XV. Whether it be not a safe way to conclude my safe estate by my practicall Reasoning Answer It is not an unsafe but a lawfull way to conclude a mans safe Estate by way of Practicall Reasoning so it be the Reason be not carnall but spirituall One Proposition being expressed in the Word or safely deducted thence the other being the experimentall observation of a good Conscience enlightened by the Spirit of God and looking up to Christ to cleare the Conclusion from both Neverthelesse a good Conscience will not satisfie himselfe in this way till it be established by the Witnesse of the Spirit or if it should so satisfie and rest it fesse for a Season God will awaken it in time to a Sense further need of Christ Quest XVI Whether a Christian may not presse the Lord for spirituall Mercies with Arguments drawne from the Graces of Christ in himselfe Answer A Christian Soule is more usually wont to presse the Lord for spirituall Mercies by Arguments drawne from his owne spirituall Miseries and Infirmities then from the Graces of Christ in himselfe Neverthelesse the Saints doe also make use of Arguments drawne from the Graces of Christ when they do discerne the same in themselves but they are usually such Graces whereby they goe out of themselves and their owne Strength and Worth as Faith Hope Desire Seeking Waiting c. or such as doe expresse their spirituall Bent and Inclination or Affection which they desire might be quickned and satisfied with their spirituall proper Object or End but the force of their Arguments from those Graces is fetched not from the Force or Fulnesse or Power of them but from the Weaknesse and Emptinesse of them Thus have you according to your Desire a plain and short Answer to all your Demands except the thirteenth which being exposed to greatest Agitation and Exception I have spoken the more largely and distinctly to it that so I might avoid carefully as I see it needfull all Suspition of Ambiguity and Obscurity Now the God of Truth and Peace lead us by his Spirit of Truth into all Truth through Him who is made unto us of God the Way the Truth and the Life AMEN FINIS