Selected quad for the lemma: work_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
work_n	declare_v	faith_n	justify_v	10,426	5	8.9257	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
B13585	The saints hope, and infalliblenes thereof. or Two sermons preached before the English companie at Middelb. about the moneth of October, 1608. Written by Mr. Iohne Forbes, at the earnest request of the hearers, and now published by them for the generall instruction and comfort of all Gods children	Forbes, John, 1568?-1634.	1610 (1610)	STC 11134; ESTC S115118	69,305	128

their minde to the Image of God and must finde themselves cast in a new moulde and fashioned to another shape and borne over againe Therefore we should diligently trye our selves and consider if God at any time hath bin effectuall in vs to the alteration of the spirit of our minde renovation of our soules and if his spirit doth possesse and lead vs so that our conversation be after the spirit and not after the flesh And as the Apostle Peter in his second epistle exhorteth vs 2. Pet 1.10 Wee should studie to make our calling and election sure by adding to our faith vertue and so foorth For they can haue no certaintie of their calling that are not sanctified and therefore no assured hope For when God maketh vs his sonnes Gal. 4.6 he sendeth the spirit of his son in our heartes which cryeth Rom. 3.14 Abba Father For if any have not the spirit of Christ he is not his sayeth the Apostle to the Romanes Rom. 8.10 And if the spirit of Christ be in vs sayeth the same Apostle the same body is dead because of sinne the spirit is lyfe because of Righteousnes Therefore we may iustly conclude with the Apostle Pieter in the first chapter aforsaid of his second epistle after hee hath exhorted vs to ioyne vertue to our faith and to vertue knowledge to knowledge temperance 2. Pet. 1.9 and so foorth that whosoever hath not these things hee is blinde and seeth not farr off and hath forgotten that he was washed from his olde sinnes and so consequently that their hope is but a blinde hope their confidence a blinde confidence their boasting a blinde boasting 2 Co. 5.17 For if any man be in Christ Iesus he is a new creature sayeth the Apostle to the Corinthes So to conclude this point it were better to a man never to have bene borne in this worlde then after he is borne not to bee borne over againe by God And woe is the man who before the laying downe of this naturall life hath not obtayned another which is spirituall Now followeth the fourth point Hope followeth Regeneration which is the benefite it selfe vnto the which God of his mercie doth beget vs againe that is a living or lively hope or hope of lyfe This sheweth vs the purpose of God in begetting vs which is to cause vs hope For as we have said before First wee must bee made the children of God before we can hope to enioy his inheritance Therefore our Regeneration is a warning to vs that wee are the heires of God and coheires with Christ and obligeth vs to hope for the glorie of God seeing God hath begotten vs Because as saith the Apostle here he begetteth vs to hope therefore where hope is not there is no new birth for the Lord can not bee frustrate of the ende of his worke for hee that renewes vs vnto hope with renovation gives hope Therefore the sanctified man in Christ may be sure of glorie and lyfe everlasting according as the Apostle sheweth vs Whom he calleth Rom. 8.30 hee iustifienh and whom hee iustifieth him hee glorifieth In this benefite wee have two things to consider First what is the blessing tot wit hope Next what is meant by the propertie of this hope in that it is called a lively hope Concerning the firist the Apostle describing our estate before the Lord doe beget vs and make vs partakers of the adoption doth declare that among the rest of our miseries this was one that we had no hope For whē he hath expoūded to vs the mercy of God in our salvation and regeneration shewing that we are his workmāship created in Christ Iesus vnto good workes which God had ordayned that we should walke in them being iustified by faith he willeth vs to remember what we were before saying Remember that ye beeing in time past Gentiles in the flesh called vncircumcision of them which are called circumcision in the flesh made with handes that yee were I say at that time without Christ were aliaunts from the common wealth of Israel and were strangers from the couenants of promise and had no hope and were without God in the world This is the miserable estate of vs all before wee be called of God to the adoption of his sonnes and be begotten of him againe wee are all without Christ without hope and without God in the world What greater miserie can there be Act. 17.28 then have a being and yet without him in whom wee have our being our lyfe our moving and all things as the Apostle sayeth in the Actes And knowing that we must depart from this life to have no hope of lyfe thereafter Miserable indeed is our estate by nature how much soever we glorie in it so much the more miserable that wee have neither sense nor sorrow of this our miserie Who is he that can reioyce in any thing while hee abydeth without him in whom are all things And howe can the heart sufficiently praise love and magnifie the Lord when it tasted of this his goodnes in begetting vs againe And so consequently taking from vs all our miseries making vs blessed in giving vs hope and himselfe to bee our God and Father in Christ through whom sayeth the Apostle to the Ephesians we both Ephe. 2.18.19 and 22 that is Iewe and Gentill haue one entrance vnto the Father by one spirit and are no more strāgers forreners but citizens with the Saints and of the houshold of God and in whom wee are build together to bee the habitation of God by the spirit It is not without good reason that the Apostle here in this place can not speake of this mercie without blessing him who hath brought vs to this blessed estate of hope And great matter have we of reioycing who have tasted of the like mercie If wee consider that which the Apostle saith to the Romanes That wee are saved by hope Rom. 8.24 For as he saith in another Epistle We walke here by faith 2. Cor. 5.7 and not by sight and therfore taking from vs hope our salvation and lyfe is taken from vs which wee doe possesse by hope for this is the difference of faith and hope that by faith we beleeue the promises of salvation in Christ which hope waiteth for so that faith hath respect to lyfe and salvation as it is embraced by vs here in this world Hope hath relation to them as wee shall possesse them in the world to come so that hope doeth alwayes follow faith hangeth vpon it although they be often times takē in the scripture the one for the other indifferently The one looketh to lyfe apprehendeth it promised in the world the other wayteth for the revelation of it from heaven as it is possessed by Christ at the right hande of the Father This is now the blessing vnto the which the Lord begetteth vs againe so that without Regeneration

Iustice did come by our workes then had we wherein to reioyce and glorie And for this cause also is it that God doth choose the vyle things of this worlde the foolish and the weake 1. Cor. 27. to the end euen that no flesh should reioyce or glory in his presence for wee are that which wee are of him in Christ Iesus and not of our selves nor in our selves saith the Apostle be it Wiesdom iustificatiō sactification or redemption That according as it is written Hee that reioyceth let him reioyce in the Lord. The second reason of the Apostle to the Ephesians Phil. 2.13 is Because the power of doing good is not of our selues nor in our selues because we are the workmanship of God created to good workes And this Creatiō saith the Apostle is in Christ Iesus therefore not in our selues Therfore it is not of our selues that we do good but of God who worketh in vs both the will and the deed and that of his good pleasure Neither haue we the vertues in our selues of working good but in Christ Iesus that we iustly say with the Apostle to the Galathians Gall. 2.10 It is not we that liue any more but Christ that liueth in vs. And therefore with the same Apostle to the Corinthians 2. Cor. 12.2 and 3. Our reioycing should be not in our selues but in the man which is Christ And we ought to acknowledge with him that what we are we are it by the grace of God And when we labour in well doing it is not we but the grace of God which is with vs. This serveth to vs for two things to instruct vs not with Papist or other whatsoeuer to asscribe merites to our workes or to esteeme the cause of our election calling iustification or glorification to be in our selues or our workes but in the free grace of God Therfore doth the Apostle to the Romans declare Rom. 11.5 that the remnant which are saved are reserued according to the election of grace and thervpon concludeth that if election bee of grace it is no more of workes else were grace no more grace And if it be of works then it is no more of grace or els workes were no more works So may we conclude here of our calling to the hope of life since the Apostle saith It is of Gods aboundāt mercy than it is not of merit els were mercy no more mercy and if it be of merite it is no more mercy or els merite were no more merite The cause therefore moouing God to call and elect vs is no wayes in vs but in God himselfe Therefore doth the Apostle say to the Ephesians Ephe. 1.5 that God hath predestinated vs to be adopted through Christ in himselfe And what was the cause in himselfe moouing him the Apostle likewise declareth it According to the good pleasure of his wil. And moreouer in the next verse he maketh it more plaine saying That it is his grace wherewith hee hath made vs freely accepted in his beloved yet more amplie hee cleareth this adding in the 7. verse That the redemption which we haue by the bloud of Iesus Christ is also according to his rich grace Declaring that whither wee look to God in giuing Christ to dye for vs or whither wee consider God iustifying vs in Christ and accepting of vs in him for the merite of his death applying or imputing the same to vs There was nor is nothing that mooueth him to doe so but his owne grace For as it is written Exod. 33.19 I will haue mercy vpon him to whom I will shew mercie wil haue compassion vpon him on whom I will haue compassion So that it is not in him that willeth Rom. 9.15 16. 18 nor in him that runneth but in God that sheweth mercie And therefore hee hath mercy on whom hee will and whom hee will hardeneth The second thing that hereby we learne is that comfortable lesson which the spirit of God teacheth vs by the Apostle to the Romanes reasoning from this mercie and loue of God towardes vs in Christ who when wee were yet of no strength at his time Rom 5.6.7 8.9.10 dyed for the vngodly God setting foorth his merueillous loue to vs that whyle we were yet sinners Christ dyed for vs. Whereupon he concludeth that nowe being iustified by his bloud we shall much more bee saued from wrath through him For as the the Apostle sayeth If when we were enemies wee were reconciled to God by the death of his Sonne Ephe. 2.3.4 and 5. much more being re●ciled we shal be saved by his life For that mercy that mooued God when we were dead in sinne and trespasse being by nature the children of wrath Ier. lament 3.22 to quicken vs in Christ Seeing it remained for euer and his compassions fayle not but are renewed every morning Ephe. 2.3.4 must needes much more mooue him to accomplish the good pleasure of his will in vs Psal 106.1 who nowe are made the children of his loue in Christ Therefore neede we not to feare what man Rom. 8.38 and 39. yea what Deuills can doe to vs For neither death nor life nor Angells nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shal be able to seperate vs from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus For our God is full of compassion and mercie Psal 103.8 c. slow to anger and of great kindnes Therefore he will not alwayes chyde Psal 103.6 nor keepe his anger for euer neither will hee deale with vs after our sinnes nor reward vs according to our iniquities seeing he pitied vs and had mercie on vs when we were his enemies For that mercie that mooued God to beget vs to the hope of lyfe when we were straungers from him without hope and without God much more shall it mooue him to bring vs now being made his children to the enioying of that blessed hope Herevpon it followeth That Gods mercie is the only ground of solide and perfect comfort to man and only sure stay to the soule of him that is in trouble that contrariwise they can haue no stedfast hope nor perfect ioy through their hope who build their hope of lyfe not vpon the mercie of God but on their owne merite or merite of any other creature Therefore is it that in the scripture the most lamentable and sorrowfull cace of the godly is described to bee when as the sence of Gods mercie faileth them For then doe they crie out Will God shewe noe more fauour Psal 77.8 Is his Mercie cleane gone for euer Doth his promise faile for euermore Hath God forgotten to be mercifull Hath he shutt vp his tender mercies in displeasure This is my death sayeth the seruant of God Hereby declaring that mercie is their only comfort and cause of their lyfe And where mercie appeareth