Selected quad for the lemma: work_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
work_n	covenant_n	law_n	moral_a	4,802	5	10.4234	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A76783	St. Paul and St. James reconcil'd. A sermon preach'd before the Vniversity of Cambridge, at St. Mary's Church, on Commencement-Sunday in the afternoon, June 30. 1700. ... / By Offspring Blackall, D.D. Chaplain in ordinary to Her Majesty..	Blackall, Offspring, 1654-1716.	1700 (1700)	Wing B3050A; ESTC N36965	18,049	16

They were of the mind of our Modern Deists That Natural Religion was so good and perfect that it needed no Revelation to improve it Against these therefore the Apostle proves the necessity of the Christian Dispensation and of Faith in Christ Because tho' Men had been taught well before they had never practiced as they had been taught that by reason of the weakness of humane Nat re they had never liv'd up to what they knew was their Duty that therefore no Man was or cou'd be justified in God's sight by the Law of Nature or the first Covenant made with Mankind which required strict and unsinning Obedience that consequently it was necessary to believe in Christ and to enter into that more gracious Covenant which he by his Blood had made between God and us whereby he had encouraged good Works with better Promises and offered to afford us divine strength and succour to assist our Endeavours by which Covenant of Grace in Christ tho' indeed we were still obliged to the same Duties which the Law of Natute had laid upon us we might be justified which by the other we could not be because that required strict and unsinning Obedience whereas this made allowance for the weakness of Humane Nature and left room for Repentance if at any time through carelessness or surprize we should come short of our Duty And to shew the advantage of this Covenant made by Christ and the impossibility of being justified any other way than by having our Sins remitted to us through Faith in his Blood seems to have been mainly designed by the Apostle in the former part of his Epistle to the Romans Now the first Covenant made with Mankind being indeed a Covenant of Works without Grace therefore in opposition to and to distinguish this from that he with good Reason calls this sometimes Grace sometimes the Law of Faith sometimes the preaching of Faith and sometimes barely Faith which he says is the only way by which it is possible for us to be justified because our Nature is so corrupt and degenera e that we cannot perform perfect and unsinning Obedience But 2. The Jews were also as conceited of themselves as the Gentiles and as unwilling to accept of the Covenant made by Christ because they trusted to be saved by the Observation of the Law of Moses And therefore the Apostle likewise against these endeavours to shew that they were Sinners as well as the Gentiles and stood in as much need of a Saviour as they And this he does in the four or five 1st Chapters of his Epistl to the Romans in some Passages of which especially in the first and second Chapters he seems to have a peculiar Respect to the Gentiles and in other places to the Jews more especially and in some to both of them And the sum of this Argument is this That since all both Jews and Gentiles had sinned and come short of the Glory of God it was therefore necessary that a Redeemer should come to make attonement for their past Sins and to establish a new Covenant between God and Men which he calls Faith or the Law or Faith to distinguish it from the Law of Moses which was truly a Law of Works and by this Covenant of Grace or Faith in Christ which was open and free for all to enter into both Jews and Gentiles he says might be juify'd which they could not either of them be by the Law of Works nor the Jews any more than the Gentiles by the Ceremonial Law of Moses that being never design'd by God as a C ndition of Justifica ion as having only temporal Rewards and Punishments annexed to it Seeing therefore the Jews as well as the Gentiles had broken the first Law given to Mankind which requir'd unsinning Obedience he says there was no means of Justifi ation now left for either of them but by Faith in Christ that is by coming into that New Covenant which Christ had established by his Death and offered to us in the Gospel But 3. Besides these two the Apostle had also a third sort of Adverseries to deal with which did cost him as much trouble as either of the former and they were some who being born and bred Jews had been converted by Christianity by the Preaching of the apostles but nevertheless still retained such a great Likeing and Veneration for Moses and his Law that they thought they were yet bound to observe it as much as ever and not only so but they would fain have forced the same upon the Gentiles too telling them that notwithstanding Christ they were bound to be circumcised as the Jews w re and to keep the Law of Moses and that otherwise they could not be saved Against these therefore the Apostle proves at large especially in his Epistle to the Galatians that the Law given by Moses was never designed to oblige the Gentiles nor the Jews neither any longer than till the coming of Christ 〈◊〉 that Law was to the Jews themselves only School-master to bring them unto Christ that is to prepare and dispose them to receive his more pure and heavenly Doctrine that therefore now after the Revelation and preaching of the Gospel that Law was of use And after that Faith is come 〈◊〉 that is after the Gospel is 〈◊〉 we are no longer under a School-master Galat. iii. 25. That the Ceremony in Law was made 〈◊〉 only of Types and Shadows whereof Christ was the Substance and that 〈◊〉 the Substance being now 〈◊〉 they were 〈◊〉 that the Ceremonial Law was given only 〈◊〉 exercise the Jewish Nation for 〈◊〉 and was then to give way to a better Law the Law of Faith or Evangelical Obedience that 〈◊〉 himself was justified by 〈◊〉 means and method which is now propounded inn Gospel by viz. by a lively Faith in the Promises of God working in him 〈◊〉 Obedience whatsoever God required of him and that he was thus justified before he was circumcised and therefore so might they be too without Circumcision and 〈◊〉 other 〈◊〉 Observances In the management of which dispute with these Judaizing Christians the Apostle calls the Christian Religion as oppos'd to the Jewish by the word Faith to distinguish it from the Observation of Moses's Law which was call d Works or the Works of the Law And using the word in this sense he says We are justify'd by Faith and by Faith only that is by the Faith and Obedience of the Gospel and that there is no need at all of Works that is of such Works as were enjoyn'd by the Ceremonial Law which they laid such great stress upon for thus he often explains himself expresly calling those Works which he rejects the Works of the Law thereby plainly distinguishing them from the Works of Evangelical Obedience and clearly imitating that it was not his intention to exclude these tho' he did those Thus the Apostle manag'd the Controversy he was engag'd in with these three Adversaries And

the forbearance of God In which Text being justify'd and having our Sins remitted seem'd to be us'd as Terms of he same Signification And the Psalmist meaning to describe the Blessedness of a justify'd Person thus expresses it Blessed are they whose Iniquities are forgiven and whose Sins are cover'd Psal xxxii 1 2. Blessed is the Man to whom the Lord will not impute Sin Rom iv 5 6 7 8. And indeed this is all the Justification that Sinful Men and such all Men are are capable of For being in truth Sinners they can't by a Just God be acquitted as Innocent They can therefore be justify'd no other way but by having their Sins forgiven them and by being receiv'd to Mercy for if God should enter into strict Judgment with us no Man living cou'd be justify'd in his Sight as the Psalmist says Psal cxliii 2. To justify therefore in the common Scriptural Notion of it is to absolve from Guilt to discharge from Punishment and accordingly it is frequently in Scripture oppos'd to Condemnation It is God that justifyeth says the Apostle who is he that Condemneth Rom. viii 33 34. And in another place Being justify'd by his Blood we shall be sav'd from Wrath through him Rom. v. 9. Now taking the Word in this Sense there is a two fold Justification First When we take upon us the Profession of the Christian Religion in Baptism for then our past Sins are forgiven us then we are receiv'd into a Covenant of Grace and Pardon But this is not a full Justification for our Sins are not then clearly pardon'd and forgiven because they may after this be still imputed to us and so they will be in case we afterwards do either in Profession or in Works deny that Faith which we then take upon us Our Second therefore and our compleat and final Justification is not till the great Day of Judgment when God will for ever acquit from the Guilt and free from the Punishment of all their past Sins all those who continu'd faithful to that Covenant which they entred into with God at their Baptism Supposing therefore at present that St Paul and St. James do by Faith and Works both mean the same things Yet if they do not both speak of the same Justification if St. Paul when he speaks of Justification by Faith means the First Justification which is dispensed to us in Baptism and St. James when he affirms that we are justify'd by Works and not by Faith only means the Second and Final Justification at the last day there is plainly no manner of Contrariety between them For it may be true that in order to our being admitted into the Covenant of Justification and Pardon nothing more may be required but only that we firmly believe and embrace the Christian Religion and accordingly we may observe that as a previous Disposition to Baptism nothing else seems to be requir'd but only that we should believe the Gospel and in Profession renounce our former Sins according to that of St. Philip to the Eunuch Acts viii 37. If thou believest with all thine Heart thou mayst be baptiz'd and yet it may be true too that our being put into a justify'd state by Baptism will in the event be no advantage to us but rather only increase our Condemnation unless afterwards we continue true and faithful to that Profession which we then take upon us and are careful to perform our part of that Covenant which we then enter into with God Now I say this last seems to be what St James affirms and the first all that St. Paul teaches at least in many of those Places where he says we are justify'd by Faith For that by the Justification which St. James speaks of when he says We are Justify'd by Works and not by Faith only he means our Final Justification at the great Day upon which that Salvation will immediately be bestow'd upon us which at our Baptism was only promis'd and assur'd to us upon certain Conditions is evident by his using Justification and Salvation in this Dispute as Terms equivalent For thus he expresses the Doctrine of the Text in the 14th Verse where he first begins to handle the Subject What doth it profit my Brethren if a Man say he hath Faith and have not Works can Faith save him It is plain that he means the same thing there by being sav'd that does in the Text and other Verses of this Chapter by being justify'd and consequently that by Justification in this Discourse of his concerning Faith and Works he means that Final Justification upon which Salvation is immediately consequent And on the other side that St. Paul in very many at least if not in all those Places wherein he attributes Justification to Faith only without Works means therefore only our first Justification that is our being admitted into the Covenant of Grace and being put into a justify'd state by Baptism will I suppose be no less evident if these two things be consider'd 1. That in many places he speaks of Justification as a thing past which he cou'd not do if he had meant the same thing by Justification that St. James does For thus writing to the Corinthians he says 1 Cor. vi 11 Ye are or ye have been justify'd in the Name of the Lord Jesus And Rom. vi 1. speaking of himself and other Christians that were then living and consequently not finally justify'd in St. James's Use of the Word he says that being justify'd by Faith they had Peace with God And upon this he grounds their Hope that they should also if they continu'd in Faith be finally justify'd by God at the last Day ver 9. For if while we were Sinners Christ dy'd for us much more then being now justify'd by his Blood we shall be sav'd from Wrath thro' him 2. It may be also further observ'd That in many places he expresly joyns Justification with Baptism as an Effect or Concomitant of it as in Tit. iii. 5 7. Not by Works of Righteousness which we have done but according to his Mercy he sav'd us by the washing of Regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost that being justify'd by his Grace we shou'd be made Heirs according to the Hope of Eternal Life and in 1 Cor. vi 11. Such were some of you but ye are wash'd but ye are sanctify'd but ye are justify'd they were justify'd it seems at the same time that they were wash'd that is at their Baptism when they openly and solemnly renounc'd those wicked Works which they had formerly liv'd in and took upon them the Profession of the Christian Faith Now therefore if this be granted which seems to be very probable That St. Paul generally means this by Justification viz. only our being admitted into a State of Grace and Favour with God at our Baptism in which State if we continue by persevering in Faith and Obedience we shall at last be justify'd and acquitted finally in the great Judgment it

in that Epistle is not an idle ineffectual Belief but such a Faith as makes Men to be obedient Forasmuch therefore as the Faith which St. Paul speaks of when he says we are justify'd by Faith includes in it all that St. James means by Faith and Works too it is plain That tho' we suppose that they do both use the word justifie always in the same sense there is not however any Contrariety in their Doctrines altho' one says that we are justify d by Faith and the other that we are justify'd by Works and not by saith only But 3. There is also an ambiguity in the word Works and it is not improbable nay I suppose I shall make it very plain that these two Apostles S. Paul and S. Jam. in their several Discourses upon the Subject of Justification do likewise use this Word in very different Senses and that St. Paul when he excludes Works do's not mean the same by Works that St. James do's when he affirms that we are justify'd by Works and not by Faith only And if St. James by Works when he affirms them to be necessary together with Faith means those Works of Piety Justice and Charity and other Moral Duties which are required in the Gospel as to any one that reads the former part of the Chapter it will be evident that he do's and on the other side if St. Paul when he excludes Works means by Works only either those materially good Works which Men might do without the Grace of the Gospel or the Merit of good VVorks or else those Ritual Observances which were requir'd by the Ceremonial Law of Moses then tho' their VVords and Expressions be different yet their Sense may be the very same Now concerning this place in St. James I think there can be no Dispute he plainly takes both Faith and VVorks in the most proper and usual acceptation of the words By Faith when he affirms that Faith alone is not sufficient he plainly means a meer Belief of the Truths of the Gospel and by VVorks when he affirms that they are necessary together with Faith he plainly means such a sort of Life and Conversation as the Belief of the Gospel Truths is naturally apt to produce a Conversation becoming the Gospel of Christ And both these he affirms to be necessary in order to our final Justification at the last day And on the other side St Paul if at any time he speaks of the same Justification that St. James do's means by Faith when he says we are justify'd by that only all that St. James means by Faith and VVorks too as hath been shewn already and by Works when he says we are justify'd by Works he means only either the Merit of good VVorks or such VVorks as might be done by unregenerate Men without the Grace of the Gospel or else the Ritual Observances of the Mosaical Law And that he uses the VVords in these Senses and do's not mean to exclude from being a condition of our final Justification that hearry Obedience to the Precepts of the Gospel which a firm Belief of the Truths of it is naturally apt to produce will further appear if these two things be considered 1 The occasion and design of those Discourses of St. Paul wherein Faith is so much magnified and VVorks are set so light by And And 2 The several Cautions that are here and there intermix'd in those Discourses as it were on purpose to prevent our mistaking his meaning and thinking that we may be sav'd by Faith alone without a good Life 1. We may consider the Occasion and Design of those Discourses of S. Paul wherein Faith is so much magnify'd and Works are set so light by and which consequently do seem most to contradict the Doctrine here taught by St. James And I premise this first of all That none of St. Paul's Epistles seem to have been written as if they were intended to comprehend the whole Christian Religion they rather suppose Christianity already planted in those Places to which his Epistles are directed It was not consequently his Intention in every Epistle that he wrote to teach all the Principles of the Doctrine of Christ and to lay again the foundation of Repentance from dead Works and of Faith towards God Heb. vi 1. for all this had been done before those same Apostles by whose Ministry they had been converted and baptiz'd having also then according to the Commission given them by Christ taught them to observe all things whatsoever our Lord had commanded As such therefore the Apostle consider'd the Persons to whom he wrote viz. as true Disciples of Christ as Persons that had before been taught to obey as believe the Gospel and so had no fear upon him that by his using the Word Faith or Works in an uncommon Sense and yet in such a Sense as the Controversy he was handling led him to use them in they to whom he wrote wou'd ever be in danger of embracing an Opinion so contrary to the first Principles of the Christian Religion as it plainly was to think that they might be saved only by believing without obeying the Gospel The main design then I say of most of St Paul's Epistles I mean of the Controversial Parts of them seems to be to furnish the Christians to whom he wrote with Answers to those Objections which the Enemies to Christianity among whom they liv'd did make against it And most of the Churches to which these Epistles were directed were made up chiefly of Gentile Converts with whom nevertheless there were some Jewish Converts also intermix'd but the far greatest part of the Inhabitants of those places were profess'd Jews or Gentiles who tho' both zealous each for their own way and against each other yet readily joyn'd their Forces together as against a common Enemy to hinder the growth and spreading of Christianity So that St. Paul had three sorts of Adversaries to deal with viz. the Gentiles the Jews and the Judaizing Christians The Gentiles who had been long bred up under the Institution of their Philosophers and by their good and wholsom Precepts of Morality were in a good readiness and disposition to embrace the Gospel which in general commanded little more than they were taught before their own Philosophers only requiring a stricter and more perfect observance of those Rules and adding new Motives and Encouragements to it from the plain Revelation of a future state of Rewards and Punishments of which before the coming of Christ Men had but an obscure Notion and very slender Assurance The main Objection therefore which these had to make against St. Paul was that he took as they thought a great deal of pains to little purpose in going about to establish a new Belief and a new Profession of Religion among them seeing that al to Practice they had been taught all the same things in substance by their own Philosophers so that consequently they thought he might have spared his labour