Selected quad for the lemma: virtue_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
virtue_n	act_n	grace_n	habit_n	906	5	9.7429	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A33925	The body of divinity, or, A confession of faith being the substance of Christianity, containing the most material things relating to matters both of faith and practice : published for the benefit and profit of all, especially those who love the Lord Jesus ... / by Thomas Collier.	Collier, Thomas, fl. 1691.	1674 (1674)	Wing C5268; ESTC R23929	303,320	630

of the New Covenant Jer. 31. 33. I will put my Law in their inward Parts and will write it in their Hearts What need so much a doe about the matter as if it were the Work of Man this seems to be Legal and not Evangelical to set Man upon that which is God's Gift and Work Answ We are to distinguish in this matter Answ or else we may quickly confound Truth and lose the Truth of our selves too I say we are to distinguish between the Act of Divine Virtues and the Habit that is not only the Power but Disposition wrought of God in the Heart according to his Promise and the Actings thereof for Repentance Faith Love Obedience c. is our Act and our Duty and sure enough we shall Perish if it be not done Therefore though it be of God to effect the New Work within which is his special Grace where it is yet four things do weightily concern us to be instructed in 1. That the Acting of Divine Grace into the Performance of Gospel-Duty doth concern us and is the Duty of all though they have not the Law written in the Heart 2. That you can never know this Law of Grace to be in your Hearts but by your Holy Disposition of Acting Divine Vertues and Duties sure enough they are Graceless Persons who act not those Divine Virtues the Gospel requires 3. Persons sincerely Acting and Working towards God in Divine Grace and Life received is the undoubted way of Increase thereof and therein God will bless Endeavours with Increase and curse Sluggishness and Negligence with Loss of all Mat. 25. 16. to 29. 4. That it 's a dangerous and pernitious Understanding of Gods absolute Promise in the New Covenant so as to make null his Conditional Promises in the Administration thereof even as dangerous if not more then to fix on the Conditional so as to make null the absolute But there is a saving Understanding of both if rightly directed therein CHAP. XIII Treateth of Justification THe next thing I shall come in order to Chap. 13. Of Justification speak unto is the matter of Justification this followeth Faith and Repentance according to the Law of the New Covenant it followeth Effectual Calling according to the Order stated Rom. 8. 3. Whom he predestinated them he called and whom he called them he justified c. In this Order Justification followeth Calling in which Faith and Repentance is included and therefore is it propounded in the Gospel on terms of Faith and Repentance Acts 13. 39. By him all that Believe are justified c. Rom. 5. 10. Being justified by Faith we have Peace with God Luke 24. 47. Repentance and Remission of Sins must be preached in the Name of Christ c. Remission of sins upon Repentance In my Discourse about this Matter I shall endeavour to shew 1. What Justification is Justification is 1. What it is an Acquittance and Discharge from the Guilt and Eternal punishment for sin and is the same as Remission and Pardon of sin For a Person whose sins are pardoned is justified and his sins are as if they had not been that Justification consisteth in the Pardon and Remission of sin is clear Rom. 4. 6 7 8. Even as David describeth the Blessedness of the Man unto whom God imputeth Righteousness with Works Here is an imputed Righteousness without Works Righteousness and Justification in this place is all one and vers 7. explains what this Righteousness and Justification is Blessed are they whose Iniquities are forgiven and whose Sins are covered Blessed is the Man to whom the Lord will not impute Sin So that it 's evident that Righteousness unto Justification consists in this the Forgiving Covering and not Imputing of sin the same we have in substance Act. 13. 38. Be it known to you Men and Brethren that through this Man is preached unto you the Forgiveness of Sins the Forgiveness of Sins is the glad Tydings of the Gospel and vers 39. declares this Remission of sins to be Justification And by him all that Believe are justified from all things from which they could not be justified by the Law of Moses that is their sins are forgiven Col. 2. 13. Having forgiven you all Trespasses and where all Trespasses are forgiven such Persons stands Quit and Justified before God Rom. 33. 34. Who shall lay any thing to the Charge of God's Elect it is God that justifieth who is he that Condemneth If God pardon acquit and justifieth who can Condemn And thus much as to the Matter of Justification what it is and wherein it consisteth 2. How this Justification and Righteousness 2. How it is to be obtained is to be obtained and this I shall mind on a twofold Account 1. As it relates to God and 2. As it relates to us 1. As it relates to God the Father that 1. As it relates to God his Justice must be satisfied so it might come unto us in a way of Justice as well as Mercy Man having sinned and being gone out from God by sin and Disobedience he being a Just and Righteous God his Justice must be satisfied that so he might have a Honourable and Righteous way of exercising Mercy to Sinners and the way of satisfaction to Divine Justice and Demonstration of Divine Love and Grace to Sinners was by Jesus Christ crucified The Son of the Father in Truth and Love The Death and Sufferings of our Lord was the alone satisfactory Sin-offering to the Father for the sin of sinners this will appear if we consider 1. How frequently Christ is said in Scripture It appears 1. Christ dyed for Sinners to Dye for our sins 1 Cor 15 3. For I delivered first of all that which I received how that Christ dyed for our sins according to the Scriptures Gal. 1. 4. Who gave himself for our sins c. that is because of our sins our sins were the cause of his Death that he might thereby make Peace and Reconciliation for sinners that the way of Mercy might be opened and a Hopeful way of Salvation for sinners in that He bear our sin● on his own Body on the Tree 1 Pet. 2. 24. That he dyed for us 1 Pet. 4. 1. And for our sins the Just for the Vnjust that he might bring us to God 1 Pet. 3. 18. that is in our sted that we might Live 2. That God the Father hath in Scripture 2. God hath declared his satisfaction as clearly and fully declared his being satisfied and well pleased with and in the Sufferings of his Son for the sake of Sinners And this will appear if we consider 1. That God the Father laid our sins upon him and surely he would never have laid our sins on the Back of his Son if he had not been well pleased in his Bearing of them Isa 53. 6. All we like Sheep are gone It appears 1. He laid our sins upon his Son astray we have turned every

is but the assurance of Faith Hope and Confidence which affords Peace Joy and Consolation the Scripture and so must reason too make a vast disproportion between the life of Faith and the life of present and full Injoyment 2 Cor. 5. 7. We live by Faith and not by sight that is not by present injoyment Heb. 10. 38. Now the just shall live by Faith that is now in this side the Glory promised in which it may be supposed is danger of drawing back If any man draw back my soul shall have no pleasure in him 2. How it must be obtained the assurance 2. How it must be obtained of Faith and hope must be attained by a reflect act of the soul or a resultancy or conclusion from the condition on which life is promised to instance Mat. 5. 3. c. are many precious promises made to persons that are indowed with those Divine Virtues therein exprest as Blessed are the poor in spirit c. Who so finds those Virtues in him may and ought to claim his interest in the promises so Mat. 16. 16. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved that is he that believeth and obeyeth the Lord of which Baptism is the first and ingageth to the whole duty of the Gospel shall be saved I do believe and obey the Gospel therefore I shall be saved so 1 J●h 5. 1. Whosoever doth believe that Jesus is the Christ is born of God this Faith if right is accompanied with those other Virtues mentioned as love to God love to his people obedience to his will and his Commandments are not grievous it getteth victory over the World c. as ver 2. By this we know we love the children of God when we love God and keep his Commandments ver 3. For this is the love of God that we keep his Commandments and his Commandments are not grievous that is they are not grievous to Believers ver 4. Whatsoever is born of God overcometh the World and this is the victory that overcometh the World even your Faith What the World is that Faith overcometh the Apostle had before explained Chap. 2. 15 16 17. Faith getteth the victory by fixing the soul on better objects than the World is Heb. 5. 9. He is become the Author of eternal Salvation to all them that obey him Now the resultancy from the whole is I do believe that Jesus is the Christ and my Faith is accompanied with love to God above all and do love his people for his sake and do sincerely desire to know and do his will and keep his Commandments they are not grievous to me but my failing therein is my grief and by this Faith I have overcome the World and am dead to it and it is my real desire and endeavour to abandon all things that are contrary to the will of the Lord to abhor that which is evil and to cleave to that which is good therefore I am born of God therefore I have an interest in the new covenant this is the way appointed of God in which they may make their Calling and Election sure if they give diligence to it 2 Pet. 1. 10. and these are the things that John write in his Epistle to them that did believe that they might know that they had eternal life 1 Joh. 5. 13. and according to our abounding in those Divine Virtues or not abounding so will our assurance be 2 Pet. 1. 10 11. Quest. Is not Assurance the immediate Quest gift of the Spirit does not the Scripture speak of being sealed with the Holy Spirit of Promise Eph. 1. 13. 2 Cor. 1 22 Answ 1. It 's without all question to me Answ that the ground of all sealings is from the Holy Spirit and that he doth refresh the hearts of Believers and seal up love to them in the waies of his own appointment yet for persons to take that for a sealing evidence which relates neither to word nor work of the Spirit but some apprehended over-powrings or ●rong perswasions without all grounds ●rong confidence and consolation but knows not ●rom whence it comes can give no reason thereof but supposeth that it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be from the Spirit this may 〈◊〉 〈…〉 on of our own spirits or the 〈◊〉 who can transform himself into an Angel of l●ght and I fear many souls have miscarried on this account 2. The assurance and comfort of Saints must come in by believing if right Rom. 15. 13. The God of Hope fill you with joy and peace in believing as 1 Pet. 1. 8. What ever comes in any other way may prove a ●ancy and Faith in this matter must have a relation to the word of Grace or the work of the Spirit suitable to some word or both in which is found the sealings of the Spirit it must be in and by the word and work The Spirit was promised and given for a twofold Seal 1. To seal the truth of the Doctrine to be believed by its gifts and mighty works in and by the Ministers thereof and 2. To seal the truth of our Faith relative to interest in that Doctrine and that is by the word and work of the same Spirit 1. By the word Joh. 16. 13 14. Where ●he Spirit seals by the Word the manner of the Spirits work is 〈◊〉 ed that is he shall guide you into truth ●e 〈◊〉 not speak of himself he shall shew you things to come he shall glorifie me he shall take of mine and shew it unto you so that the way of the Spirits working and leading into truth is in opening the Word and shewing the goodness of the Word the Doctrine of the Gospel which leads us to Christ for he shall glorifie him and take of his and shew it to the soul and there is nothing of Christ to be shewed to us more than is revealed in and by the Word so that the Spirits sealing is in and through the Word and this Believers have experience of more or less of the Spirits sealing through the Word read heard and applyed to their joy and comfort for the Spirit comforts by opening Christ and the blessed truths of the Gospel relating to him by his Word and his Ordinances appointed for that end Quest In what manner doth the Spirit Quest work by the Word in sealing up assurance to the souls is it by an immediate bringing in of Scripture over-powringly unthought on or unexpected Answ Sometimes the Spirit of Christ Answ may so work and I question not but that in some cases and at sometimes he hath so wrought though it 's not so usual nor alwaies may it prove so fafe to be depended on for when we respect more the manner of its being brought in than the matter and the shew of the sealing testimony as apprehended lieth rather in the manner than the matter Sathan may transform himself therein and deceive the soul I have known some looking so much after the manner of receiving evidence in