Selected quad for the lemma: virtue_n
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A02034
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A looking-glasse for Christians; or, The comfortable doctrine of adoption Wherein euery true beleeuer may behold his blessed estate in the kingdome of grace. By Thomas Granger, preacher of Gods Word at Butterwike in Holland in Lincolnshire.
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Granger, Thomas, b. 1578.
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1620
(1620)
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STC 12180; ESTC S120398
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11,980
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38
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Deutronomy repeating all the benefits of God towards the Israelites at length concludeth And now O Israell what doth the Lord thy God require of thee but to loue the Lord thy God c. And Iosua likewise chap. 24 14. repeating Gods benefits towards them in like manner concludeth Now therefore feare the Lord thy God c. VII By the Ciuill Law the Heyre is reputed one and the same person with him that made him his heyre In like sort we are so neere conioyned with God by Christ that we are made one and the same with him as our Sauiour prayed Ioh. 17. 12. I pray thee O Father that they all may be one as thou art in mee and I in thee so they may be one in vs. Wee are conjoyned or vnited to Christ by two degrees 1. We are vnited to the flesh of Christ for he is the seed of Adam therefore flesh of our flesh and bone of our bones as the Iews were wont to say of themselues which were descended of the same common stocke viz. of the same Father and Mother 2. Wee participate of the spirit of Christ not essentially but effectually who worketh in some measure the same properties and qualities in vs which were in Christ as he was man which is called our transforming into Christ and our putting on of Christ This coniunction Paul expresseth by ingraffing wherein these two degrees of vnion doe euidently appeare for the sience and the stocke make one indiuiduall thing For first their matters are vnited into one and closely cemented together yet are they but contigua neerely glued together Therefore this Vnion is yet separable 2. They participate of one iuyce spirit and life and are now continua continued beeing contained vnder one common forme And this vnion is now inseparable Christ himselfe expresseth this by a comparison drawne from the vine and the branches Iohn 15. which haue one common life and spirit by which they grow burgeon and fructifie Yet heerein there is a difference for the sience conuerteth the iuyce of the stocke into his owne nature and property contrarily Christ conuerteth and transformeth vs into his nature that are incorporated into him S. Paul expresseth this vnion by Matrimony wherein these two degrees are manifest First degree is the outward bond or ceremony of wedlock which consisteth of two parts or degrees 1. A separation of eyther from all others 2. A mutuall donation or enterchange Second degree is the inward bond viz the coniugall affection or mutuall loue and sympathy So the vnion of Christ with vs is the vnion of our natures and the vnion of his spirit with ours whereby we are made flesh of his flesh bone of his bones spiritually as he is made flesh of our flesh and bone of our bones corporally Hence wee grow vp into him and beare fruit in him yet these vertues of the spirit in Christ are pure and perfect and without measure but in vs they are measurable and obscured with sundry infirmities both of our corrupt nature and personall frailties euen as the light of the Sunne is the same but diuersified in sundry starres and glasses of diuers colours VIII The Inheritance is confirmed and finally appropriated to the heyre by the death of the testator so is our inheritance by the death of Christ This of the likenesse of these two adoptions Now concerning their vnlikenesse It stands in foure particulars 1. The Adopter is mooued vvith the consideration of some dignity and desert in the adopted Contrarily God found no motiue of loue at all in vs. For vvee were his enemies And our loathsomnes in his sight is set forth vnder a double allegorie Ezech. 16. where vnder the parable of a forlorne infant is set downe the state of the Israelites in Egypt and our estates by nature in the state of the Israelites in the bondage of Pharao a type of the Deuill 2. The Adopter giueth gold or some other earthly thing for a ransome but God hath giuen his onely sonne to redeeme vs. 3. The Adopter cannot giue the spirit of a naturall sonne to the adopted but God hath giuen vnto vs the spirit of sonnes by whom we call him abba Father euen as naturall sonnes doe their parents 4 The Adopted sonne may loue his Adopter onely outwardly for the benefit that he hath receiued and reward that he expecteth yet in heart he may be so alienated as to wish the death of his Adopter that he may inherit his house land as the Poet speaketh of some vnnaturall sonnes Filius ante diem patrios inquirit in annos But contrarily the children of God are vnited vnto him in the inward affection of heart though outwardly they faile in many things yea hyppocrits are oft times out-wardly more officious than they as deceitfull seruants are often more obsequious than children Therefore saith Dauid Psal 32. 2. Blessed is he in whose spirit there is no guile Not with standing his manifold infirmities The Second thing is the Priviledges whereof we are made partakers by vertue of adoption I By vertue of Adoption we are made the brethren of Christ In this respect he is called our elder brother Rom. 8. 29. and Math. 28. 10. and 25. 40. Obiect Than before the Nativitie death and Resurrection of Christ none were the adopted sonnes of God seeing that by the death and merits of Christ wee are reconciled to God called iustified adopted Miserable therefore was the state of all before the incarnation of Christ Answ The birth and sonship of Christ tooke the begining from the everlasting Counsell and Decree of God wherevpon his blood is said to be shed from the begining of the world Adam was iustified and adopted by faith in Christ to come whom God Preached and promised in Paradise and was figured by the Sacrifices of the Law which was interpreted by the Prophets and fulfilled by Christ himselfe To be the brother of Christ is a glorious title priuiledge In an earthly kingdome we thinke it a great prerogatiue to be the kinsman of a Prince and a speciall priuiledge to be the Kings sonne In the spirituall kingdome Church of Christ euery true beleeuer hath his prerogatiue and priuiledge And if men desire to match with persons of birth bloud for the aduancement of their names and houses much more should we desire this blessing of Adoption for the euerlasting aduancement of our names and states The bondman or Gally-slaue thinketh it a great happinesse to be freed made the adopted sonne of a Prince and brother to the Kings sonne This priuiledge haue wee receiued let vs take notice of our happinesse and cast off our slauish conditions II. By vertue of Adoption wee are made heyres of the heauenly Kingdome euen coheyres with Christ Rom. 8. 17. And if it bee so great a priuiledge to bee heyre apparent to an earthly kingdome much more greater glory is it to haue right to and in the kingdome of glory III. By vertue of
Adoption wee are made Kings Reuel 1. 6. of greater might and power than Nabuchadnezzar that sent out Holofernes as the Apocryphar mentioneth to cut down all that would not submit themselues vnder his yoke greater than Ahashuerus that boasted so of his 127. Prouinces yea than Alexander would haue beene if hee had obtained that plurality of worlds whereof Anaxagoras informed him Hee hath made vs Kings and Priests to God his Father We are made Kings not in respect of an earthly Kingdome seeing that the children of God are oft times the most base and contemptible of an other but in respect of a spirituall kingdome to which God hath ginen vs title and interest in and by Christ Luke 12. 32. The faithfull are made Kings in three respects 1. Because they are Lords and Conquerors of their enemies Sinne Satan the World Death Hell 2. They are partakers of the Kingdome of Christ and of Saluation for wee haue receiued of Christ grace for grace and glory for glory 3. They haue Interest Dominion and Soueraignty of all things by Christ But Christ alone is vniuersall King and absolute Lord. But the faithfull are kings as they participate with Christ in his kingdom by vertue of this priviledge they shal be Iudges of men and Angels Math. 10. 28. 1. Cor. 6. 2. 3. The Saints shall iudge the world and evill Angels But how In that they shall be as it were Assessours and Assistants with Christ on the bench giving in voyce and consent with him Obiection The wicked are Lords and owners of worldly things also how then belongeth this Priviledge to the adopted sonnes of God Answ Adam was the sonne of God by creation and heyre of all things but by the fall he lost for himselfe and his posterity the right and name of heyre and sonne so that both he and we by nature are onely vsurpers But Christ by his satisfaction hath purged our sinnes reconciled vs to God and recovered the right of sonnes and inheritance For he being the true owner and sight heyre of all things hath made vs that are in him sonnes and heyres of all things with him as the Apostle saith As he hath giuen Christ so shall he much more giue vs all things with him The godly therefore are the true Lords and owners of all things First because their persons only are accepted Secondly Because they vse them rightly that is with a good conscience namely to the glory of God Rom. 4. 13. The promise was made to Abraham that he should be the heyre of the world not by the works of the Law to wit as he was a sonne of the first Adam but by the righteousnes of faith that is as he was the sonne of the second Adam Quest How then are the wicked possessors and owners Answ In Gods providence they haue possession of the things of the world but no right vnto them I meane spirituall right Therefore in the end of the world they shal be rooted out and burnt with fire but the godly shall remaine for ever Ahraham and his posterity had right to Canaan foure hundreth yeares by the promise of God before they had actuall possession Gen. 13. 14. The reason why they had not present possession in it is given The wickednes of the Amorites is not yet full The vsurpers must possesse it foure hundreth yeares and Abraham Isaac and Iacob are to haue but a part in the playne of Mamre in Hebron purchased with their money of the vsurpers and the sonnes of Iacob were strangers in Egypt having no foot nor possession in the Earth in civill clame or right but by sufferance and will of their Lord Pharao So Dauid had right to the kingdome of Israel before present possession He must tarie for that till Saul be remooved out of the way and in the meane space suffer persecution and affliction of the vsurper In Math. 13. The tares must grow togeather with the wheate and haue place in the Land with the wheate by the permision of the housholder none can cutt them vp without the displeasure of the Lord not that the Lord loveth them but because he loveth the wheate amongst which they grow So the wicked haue possession of but not right to the things of the world saue onely in civill respect and humaine Constitution And the more rich and great they are the more hatefull are they and the greater condemnation waiteth for them IIII The Adopted sonnes of God haue the Angels as ministring spirits attending on them for their good Heb. 1. 5. are they not all ministring spirits sent forth for their sakes that all he heares of saluation Psal 34. 11. The Angell of the Lord pitcheth round about them that feare him c. 2. King 6. 17. Math. 4. Also 1. King 19. Elias flying from Iezabel is comforted directed and fed by an Angell Also Gen. 19. The Angels bring Lot out of Sodom before the fierie deluge Gen. 32. Iacob fearing Esau saw Angells comming and he acknowledgeth that they were sent to be his protectors and conductours in his iourney Gen 24. 7. Abraham sending his servant to take a wife for his sonne Isaac is perswaded that the Lord will send his Angell before him Also Math. 26 53. If Christs kingdome had been of this world and that he had not ben appoynted of God to suffer for man he should haue been rescued by more than twelue Legious of Angels And our Saviour faith that children and simple silly helplesse men haue Angells protecting and saving them For their Angell beholdeth the face of God attending his pleasure in their behalfe Moreover in the end of this world the Angells carry the soules of the godly into the kingdome of glory Luk. 16. Lastly in the day of iudgement they shall gather all the Elect together as the house-holder gathereth wheat into his barne but burneth the weedes and the chaffe the prophane and hypocrites V. All afflictions troubles and wants are turned into trialls and fatherly corrections inflicted for their good Rom. 8. 28. All things worke together for good to them that loue God c. Psal 89. 32. I will visit their transgressions with the rod c. but my louing kindnesse will I not vtterly take from them As the Israelites were prepared by many temptations and trialls in the Wildernesse for the land of Canaan Deut. 8. and as Dauid was prepared by persecutions and afflictions for the kingdom of Israel so are the children of God for the Heauenly Canaan yea they are chastned of the Lord by sundry waies and sometimes by bodily death as in the wildernesse that they might not be condemned with the World 1. Cor. 11. 3â— In the sorrowes therefore of the children of God there is matter of reioysing and in the reioycing of the wicked matter of sorrow feare and despaire FINIS