Selected quad for the lemma: work_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
work_n	justify_v	law_n	moral_a	5,360	5	10.3036	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A17301	Grounds of Christian religion laid downe briefly and plainely by way of question and answer / by H.B.	Burton, Henry, 1578-1648.	1631 (1631)	STC 4143; ESTC S734	16,088	50

so hath an interest to eternall life in and with Christ as fellow-heirs with him Q. Why doe you call faith in Christ a sauing faith A. To distinguish it from common historicall faith mentioned Iam. 2. 19. and to shew it to be an instrument of saluation by Christ. Q. Why doe you call it a liuing faith A. Because vniting the heart and soule to Christ there is a communion of spirituall life as Gal. 2. 20. this faith also working by loue whereby it is known from a dead faith as Iam. 2. 17. Q. Why call yee it a iustifying faith A. Not that it doth iustifie vs as an act or work but onely as an instrument applying Christs righteousnesse to our iustification Q. How is this faith wrought in the heart A. By the Spirit of Christ and that ordinarily by hearing the word preached Q. Why call you this faith a gift of grace A. Because it is not of our selues but it is the frée gift of God as Eph. 2. 8. Phil. 1. 29. Q. How is this faith stedfast A. In a twofold regard first of sure euidence secondly of perseuerance Q. May a beleeuer then be sure of his saluation by faith A. Yea hee is and ought to be so 2. Cor. 13. 5. Q. Doth not a beleeuer often doubt of his saluation A. Yes he may during some strong fit of temptation yet as the sunne vnder a cloud shineth all the while though we sée it not so faith vnder the cloud of temptation beléeueth truely though we féele it not Q. But may not this faith bee quite extinguished and lost for euer A. No not possibly Q. How so A. First because it is a frée gift of grace for the gifts and calling of God are without repentance Secondly because he that truely beléeueth hath eternall life and shall not come into condemnation but is passed from death vnto life Thirdly because Christ prayeth that our faith faile not whose prayer must néeds be effectual Fourthly because we are kept by the power of God through faith vnto saluation Fifthly from the nature of sauing grace Ier. 32. 40. and 1. Ioh. 3. 9. Q. Is not this a doctrine of presumption A. Nothinglesse it being a doctrine of singular comfort to Gods child to incourage and strengthen him against Satans temptations and owne infirmities as knowing that his faith shall not faile nor stands it with the nature of a true beléeuer to be carelesse of his saluation because he is sure of it sith he knoweth that saluation is not attained but by the meanes appointed of God he hath in him an inward principle of grace holding him on towards perfection Q. But doth faith onely iustifie Doe not workes also iustifie A. Faith onely iustifieth as an instrument and that perfectly in Gods sight works are said to iustifie before men but not before God as Rom. 4. 2. Iam. 2. 18. Q. But are not good workes necessary to saluation A. Yes but not as meritorious causes of saluation but onely as fruits of faith and duties of loue and they appointed vs to walk in to the kingdome being created in Christ Iesus vnto good workes that we should walk in them that according to them not for them we may freely receiue the recompense of reward Q. But are not beleeuers altogether freed from the morall Law by Christ it being that couenant of works made with Adam in Paradise before the fall do this and liue A. Christ the second Adam by his exact fulfilling of the Law and suffering the penalty of our transgressions hath fréed vs from the rigour and curse of it but yet he hath left it as a rule of direction for a holy life Q. How proue you that A. By the very manner of giuing the Law in mount Sina where before the decalogue or ten commandements the Lord saith I am the Lord thy God which haue brought thee out of the land of Egypt out of the house of bondage and thereupon inferreth Thou shalt haue no other Gods before mee c. Q. Why what is the meaning of those words I am the Lord thy God which brought thee out of the land of Egypt out of the house of bondage Q. They are not onely a history but a mystery containing a cléere type and figure of our redemption by Christ from our spirituall bondage vnder Satan and sinne So that that couenant in Sina being rightly and spiritually vnderstodd was not the first couenant of workes giuen to the first Adam but it was the very euangelicall the second Couenant of grace and faith giuen in Christ the second Adam Q. But the Apostle saith The Law is not of faith how then comes the law to be giuen vnder faith A. The law in that place is taken for the first couenant to wit of works which hath no communion with faith belonging to the second couenant But the Law as it is giuen in mount Sina the literall veile being remoued is not deliuered as the first couenant but as a rule of conuersation to the faithfull vnder the second couenant Q. But the Apostle calls the giuing of the Law in mount Sina the first couenant standing in opposition to the second as Agar to Sara the bond-woman to the free Sina to Sion and Ierusalem A. The Apostle compares it so only in regard of the literall killing sense to which the carnall Iew was captinated and thereby slaine while not looking vnto Christ the redéemer that brought them out of the spirituall Egypt and bondage they sought to be iustified by the workes of the Law which Saint Paul beates downe in that epistle to the Galatians But to the beléeuing Iew the Law was no other but the swéet yoake and light burthen of Christ. Q. Shew me then the proper differences between the first Couenant and the second A. The opposite differences betwéen the two couenants are these First the first couenant was of mans workes the second of Gods grace and these two are vnreconcileable Rom. 11. 6. The second The first couenant was made with Adam and all his posterity vniuersally the second onely with Abrahams séed called the womans séed Gen. 3. 15. to wit Christ and all the elect The third The first couenant stood vpon mans owne righteousnesse the second stands vpon anothers righteousnesse to wit Christs righteousnes made ours by imputation The fourth The first couenant stood vpon the mutability of mans will and therefore was quickly broken but the second stands firme vpon the sure foundation of Gods immutable vnchangeable will good pleasure and purpose in himselfe and so can neuer be broken called an euerlasting couenant The fifth The first was acouenant of iustice without mercy the second was a couenant of méere mercy Psal. 89. 28. yet in Christ iustice and mercy met together Psal. 85. 10. The sixt The first couenant had no other reward reuealed to the first Adam from the earth earthy but what was confined to the earthly Paradise but the secōd hath

GROVNDS OF CHRISTIAN RELIGION Laid downe briefly and plainely by way of Question and Answer By H. B. 1. Pet. 3. 13. Sanctifie the Lord God in your hearts and be ready alwayes to giue an Answer to euery man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meeknesse and feare LONDON Printed by G. M. for Robert Bird and are to be sold at his shop at the signe of the Bible in Saint Laurence-Iane GROVNDS OF Christian Religion Quest. WHo made the world Heauen and Earth Answ. God the Father Son and Holy Ghost thrée persons and one God Eternall Omnipotent inuisible allsufficient infinite in his most blessed Essence Q. How proue you God to be three Persons and those to be one God in Essence A. 1. Ioh. 5. 7. There are thrée that beare record in heauen the Father the Word and the Holy Ghost and these thrée are one Q. Whereof did God make or create the World A. Of Nothing Q. How know you this A. By faith grounded on the Word of God Q. Wherefore did God create all things A. For his owne glory Psal. 19. 1. Pro. 16. 4. Q. What was the chiefe creature on earth that God made A. Man Q. Whereof did God make man A. Of the dust of the earth breathing into him a liuing reasonable soule immortall Q. In what state was man made A. In the image of God in righteousnesse without sinne and in a state of blessednesse Q. Whereof was the woman made A. Of the mans rib that they might be as one inseparable and that all men might come of one bloud Q. What couenant made hee with them A. A couenant of workes which while they kept they should liue happily in an earthly paradise Q. How did God try their obedience A. By forbidding them the eating of a tree Gen. 2. 17. Q. Did they obserue it A. No. Q. How so A. Satan in the serpent told them a lie which they beleeuing fell from God Q. What became of them then A. By sinne they lost God and happinesse became the children of death corporall spirituall eternall and subiect to all kind of misery in this world and in hell fire Q. What is this to vs A. It concernes vs neerely for hereby we are all made guilty of their sinne and punishment Q. How proue you that A. Rom. 5. 12. For both when our first parents receiued the Commandement and when they brake it we were all in their loines so that we sinned and fell in and with them Secondly we are conceiued and borne in originall sinne being of the corrupt séede of Adam Q. What example haue ye to shew this A. A fathers treason against his Prince cuts off all his posterity from the inheritance by mans law And secondly a bondslaues children are all borne slaues by Gods law Such are we by nature Q. But are we not able to recouer our selues from our fall A. There is no meanes left in vs to doe it for neither haue we will nor power to doe any good at all nor can wee satisfie Gods iustice for the least sinne Q. Had not Adam free will before his fall and hath not man the same still A. Adam before his fall had frée will but now he hath quite lost his fréedome of will to any good and is become the seruant of sinne the imaginations of his heart onely euill continually being dead in trespasses and sinnes Q. Then our case is most miserable But is there no helpe for vs A. None in the world but in God alone Q. What meanes hath God giuen to recouer vs from this vnspeakeable misery A. His vnspeakeable mercy and frée loue hath found out the onely all sufficient meanes euen his owne Sonne whom he hath sent Q. How is the Sonne of God a means for vs A. By taking our nature of Adam into the vnity of his diuine person and so Iesus Christ God-man became a perfect Sauiour in dying for our sins and rising againe for our Iustification Q. What be the benefits which Christ hath procured vnto vs by his life and death A. Twofold 1. a fréedome from all curse spirituall temporall and eternall 2. A full interest in all good things spirituall temporall and eternall Q. Are not all still subiect to death diseases and manifold miseries in this life A. Yes but all that are redéemed by Christ are fréed from the curse of death of diseases and miseries not to be hurt or ouercome by them Q. How did Christ free vs from the curse A. By being made a curse for vs vndergoing the curse in our steads Gal. 3. Q. But who are they for whom Christ vnderwent this curse A. The elect of God ouer the world in all ages whom Christ according to his Fathers appointment redeemed Reuel 5. 9. Ioh. 17. 2. 10. 15. Luk. 1. 68. Act. 20. 28. Eph. 5. 23. 25 26. Psal. 130. 8. Rom. 9. 6 7 8. Q. What meane you by the elect of God A. A certaine number of men whom God out of his frée loue fauour and grace did from all eternity choose out of mankind predestinating them by an vnchangeable purpose and decrée to eternall life and glory Q. Did not God chuse men out of a foresight of their willingnesse to receiue grace and of their faith and perseuerance therein A. No in no wise but he chose vs meerely because he loued vs that for his owne sake to shew the glorious riches of his grace and he chose vs that we might line and so bee holy in bringing forth fruit and that our fruit might remaine Q. Is Gods election then the foundation and first cause of all our happinesse and saluation A. Yes surely for electing vs freely out of his meere loue for this very cause he giues vs his Sonne to redeeme vs to bee the authour and finisher of our faith and saluation Q. But how may wee come to know whether we be elected or no A. By our being in Christ and labouring to make our calling and election sure by faith and a holy life 2. Pet. 1. 10 Q. But how come wee to bee in Christ A. By beleeuing in him alone for saluation Q. But are we not to beleeue in God the Father also and in God the holy Ghost A. Yes surely we beleeue in God y e Father in and by Christ in God the Sonne by the holy Ghost all the three persons being ioynt authours and workers of our saluation wherein they are distinguished onely not diuided Q. What is that faith whereby we beleeue in Christ alone as sent of the Father and anoynted by the holy Ghost for our saluation A. It is a sauing liuing iustifying faith being a speciall worke of the Spirit of Christ and gift of grace whereby the heart stedfastly beléeueth in Christs righteousnesse imputed vnto the beléeuer by which righteousnes of Christ imputed he stands perfectly iustified in Gods sight from all his sins and