Selected quad for the lemma: body_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
body_n	dead_a	life_n	spirit_n	12,824	5	5.8944	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A41355	The marrow of modern divinity touching both the covenant of works, and the covenant of grace, with their use and end, both in the time of the Old Testament, and in the time of the New : wherein every one may cleerly see how far forth he bringeth the law into the case of justification, and so deserverh the name of legalist : and how far forth he rejecteth the law, in the case of sanctification, and so deserveth the name of Antinomist : with the middle path between them both, which by Iesus Christ leadeth to eternall life : in a dialogue, betwixt Evangelista, a minister of the Gospel, Nomista, a legalist, Antinomista, an Antinomian, and Neophytus, a young Christian / by the author, E.F. ; before the which there is prefixed the commendatory epistles of divers divines of great esteem in the citie of London ; whereunto is also added, the substance of a	Fisher, Edward, fl. 1627-1655.; Hamilton, Patrick, 1504?-1528. Patricks places.	1646 (1646)	Wing F997; ESTC R1839	130,516	286

from putting any confidence in our own works and doings and exhorted us by faith to lay hold upon the righteousnesse of Jesus Christ onely at the hearing whereof it pleased the Lord so to work upon mee that I plainly perceived that there was no need at all of my works and doings nor nothing else but only to believe in Jesus Christ indeed my heart did assent unto it immediately so that I went home with abundance of peace and joy in believing and gave thanks to the Lord for that he had set my soule at liberty from such a sore bondage as I had been under and I told all my acquaintance what a slavish life I had lived in being under the Law for if I did commit any sin I was presently troubled disquieted in my cōscience could have no peace til I had made humble confession thereof unto God craved pardon and forgivenes promised amendment but now I told them that whatsoever sins I did commit I was no whit troubled at them nor indeed am not to this day for I do verily believe that God for Christs sake hath freely and fully pardoned all my sins both past present and to come so that I am confident that what sin or sins soever I commit they shall never be layd to my charge being very well assured that I am so perfectly clothed with the robes of Christs righteousnesse that God can see no sin in me at all And therefore now I can rejoyce evermore in Christ as the Apostle exhorts mee and live merrily though I be never so vile or sinfull a creature and indeed I pitty them that are in the same slavish condition that I was in and would have them to believe as I have done that so they may rejoyce with mee in Christ And thus Sir you see I have declared unto you my condition and therefore I would intreat you to tell me what you think of me Evan. There is in this City at this day much talk about Antinomiaus and though I hope there be but few that doe justly deserve that title yet I pray give me leave to tell you that I feare mee I may say unto you in this case as it was once said unto Peter in another case Surely thou art one of them for thy speech bewrayeth thee And therefore to tell you truly I make some question whether you have truly believed in Christ for all your confidence And indeed I am the rather moved to question it by calling to minde that as I have heard your conversation is not such as becommeth the Gospell of Christ Ant. Why Sir do you think it is possible for a man to have such peace and joy in Christ as I have had and I thanke the Lord have still and not to have truly believed in Christ Evan. Yea indeed I think it is possible for doth not our Saviour tell us that those hearers whom hee resembles to the stony ground immediatly received the word with joy and yet had no root in themselves and so indeed were not true believers And doth not the Apostle give us to understand that as there is a forme of godlines without the power of godlinesse so there is a forme of faith without the power of faith And therefore he prayes that God would grant unto the Thessalonians the worke of faith with power And as the same Apostle gives us to understand there is a faith that is not fained so doubtlesse there is a faith that is fained And surely when our Saviour sayth Marke 4.26 27 28. The kingdome of God is as if a man should cast seed into the ground and sheuld sleepe and rise night and day and the seed should spring up and grow hee knoweth not how first the blade then the eare after that the full corn in the eare he giveth us to understand that true faith is produced by the secret power of God by little and little so that somtimes a true believer himselfe neither knows the time when nor the manner how it was wrought so that we may perceive that true faith is not ordinarily begun increased and finished all in a moment as it seems yours was but groweth by degrees according to that of the Apostle Rom. 1.17 The righteousnesse of God is revealed from faith to faith that is from one degree of faith to another from a weake faith to a stro●g faith from faith beginning to faith increasing towards perfection or from faith of adherence to faith of assurance but so was not yours and again true faith according to the measure of it produceth holinesse of life but it seems yours doth not so and therefore though you have had and have still much peace and joy yet that is no infallible signe that your faith is true for a man may have great raptures yea he may have great joy as if he were lift up into the third heaven and have a great and strong perswasion that his estate is good and yet be but an hypocrite for all that and therefore I beseech you in the words of the Apostle Examine your selfe whether you be in the faith prove your own selfe know you not your own selfe how that Jesus Christ is in you except you be a reprobate And if Christ bee in you the body is dead because of sin but the Spirit is life because of righteousnesse Ant. But Sir if my friend Nomista went wrong in seeking to be justified by the works of the Law then me thinks I should have gone right in seeking to be justified by faith and yet you speake as if wee had both gone wrong Evan. I remember Luther sayth that in his time if they taught in a Sermon that salvation consisted not in our works or life but in the gift of God some men took occasion thence to be slow to good works and to live a dishonest life and if they preached of a godly and honest life others did by and by furiously attempt to build ladders to heaven And moreover hee sayth that in the year 1525 there were some fantasticall spirits that stirred up the rusticall people to sedition saying that the freedome of the Gospel giveth liberty to all men from all manner of Laws and there were others that did attribute the force of justification to the Law Now sayth he both these sorts offend against the Law the one on the right hand who would be justified by the Law and the other on the left hand who would be clean delivered from the Law Now I suppose this saying of Luthers may bee fitly applyed to you two for it appears to me friend Antinomista that you have offended on the left hand in not walking according to the matter of the Law and it is evident to mee neighbour Nomista that you have offended on the right hand in seeking to be justified by your obedience to it Nom. But Sir if seeking of justification by the works

now heare of his performance of it Evan. Touching this point the Scripture testifieth that God according to his purpose before time and his promise in time Did in the fulnesse of time send forth his Sonne made of a woman made under the Law to redeeme them that were under the Law c. That is to say looke how mankinde by nature are under the Law as it is the Covenant of works so was Christ as mans suretie contented to bee so that now according to that Eternall and mutuall agreement that was betwixt God the Father and him he put himself in the roome and place of all the Faithfull and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquities of us all Then came the Law as it is the Covenant of Workes and said I finde him a sinner yea such a one as hath taken upon him the sinnes of all men therefore let him die upon the Crosse. Then said Christ Sacrifice and Offering thou wouldest not but a bodie hast thou prepared mee In burnt offerings and sacrifice for sinne thou hast no pleasure Then said I loe I come to doe thy will O God And so the law proceeding in full scope against him set upon him and killed him and by this meanes was the justice of God fully satisfied his wrath appeased and all true beleevers acquitted from all their sinnes both past present and to come so that the Law as it is the Covenant of workes hath not any thing to say to any true beleever for indeed they are dead to it and it is dead to them Nom. But Sir How could the sufferings of Christ which in respect of time were but finite make full satisfaction to the Justice of God which is infinite Eva. Though the sufferings of Christ in respect of time were but finite yet in respect of the person that suffered his sufferings came to be of infinite value for Christ was God and Man in one person and therefore his sufferings were a sufficient and full ransome for mans soule being of more value then the death and destruction of all creatures Nom. But Sir you know that the Covenant of workes requires mans owne obedience or punishment when it saith Hee that doth these things shall live in them and cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the Law to do them how then could beleevers be acquitted from their sins by the death of Christ Evan. For answer hereunto I pray you consider that though the covenant of workes requires mans owne obedience or punishment yet it no where disalloweth or excludeth that which is done or suffered by another in his behalfe neither is it repugnant to the Justice of God for so there bee a satisfaction performed by man through a sufficient punishment for the disobedience of man the Law is satisfied and the justice of God permitteth that the offending partie be received into favour and acknowledge God after such satisfaction made as a just man and no transgressor of the Law and though the satisfaction be made by a surety yet when it is done the principall is by the Law acquitted But yet for the further proofe and confirmation of this poynt wee are to consider that as JESUS CHRIST the second Adam entered into the same Covenant that the first Adam did so by him was done whatsoever the first Adam had undone so then the case stands thus that like as whatsoever the first Adam did or befell him was reckoned as done by all mankinde and to have befallen them even so whatsoever CHRIST did or befell him is to bee reckoned as to have been done by all believers and to have befallen them so that as sinne commeth from Adam alone to all mankinde as he in whom all have sinned so from Jesus Christ alone commeth righteousnesse unto all that are in him as hee in whom they all have satisfied the justice of God for as by being in Adam and one with him all did in him and with him transgresse the Commandement of God even so in respect of faith whereby believers are ingrafted into Christ and spiritually made one with him they did all in him and with him satisfie the justice of God in his death and sufferings and whosoever reckons thus reckons according to Scripture for in Rom. 5.12 all are sayd to have sinned in Adams sinne In whom all have sinned sayth the Text namely in Adam as in a publike person all mens acts were included in his because their persons were included in his so likewise in the same Chapter it is sayd that death passed upon all men namely for this that Adams sinne was reckoned as theirs even so Rom. 6. the Apostle speaking of Christ sayth In that he dyed he dyed unto sinne once but in that hee liveth hee liveth unto God so likewise sayth he in the next verse Reckon ye your selves to be dead unto sinne but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. And so as touching the resurrection of Christ the Apostle argues that all believers must and shall arise because Christ is risen and is become the first fruit● of them that sleepe CHRIST as the first fruits ariseth and that in the name and stead of all believers and so they rise in him and with him for CHRIST did not rise as a private person but hee arose as the publike head of his Church so that in his arising all believers did virtually arise and as CHRIST at his resurrection was justified and acquitted from all the sinnes of all believers by God his Father as having now fully satisfied for them wherefore the obedience of Christ being imputed unto believers by God for their righteousnesse it doth put them into the same estate and case touching righteousnesse unto life before God wherein they should have been if they had perfectly performed the perfect obedience of the covenant of works Doe this and thou shalt live Nom. But Sir are all believers dead to the Law and the Law dead to them Evan. Believe it man as the Law is the Covenant of works all true believers are dead unto it and it is dead to them for they being incorporated into Christ what the Law or Covenant of works did to him it did the same to them so that when CHRIST hanged on the Crosse believers after a sort hanged there with him and therefore the Apostle Paul having sayd I through the Law am dead to the Law addes in the next verse I am crucified with CHRIST which words the Apostle brings as an argument to prove that hee was dead to the Law for the Law had crucified him with CHRIST upon which Text Luther sayth I likewise am crucified and dead to the Law Forasmuch as I am crucified and dead with CHRIST and againe I believing in CHRIST am also crucified with CHRIST In like manner the Apostle sayth to the believing Romanes So yee my brethren are dead also to the Law

by the body of CHRIST Now by the body of CHRIST is ment the passion of CHRIST upon the Crosse or which is all one the suffering of CHRIST in his humane nature and therefore certainely wee may conclude with godly Tindall that all such are dead concerning the Law as are by faith crucified with Christ. Nom. But I pray you Sir how doe you prove that the Law is dead to a believer Evan. Why as I conceive the Apostle affirmes it Romams 7.1 6. Nom. Surely Sir you doe mistake for I remember the words of the first verse are how that tbe Law hath dominion over a man as long as hee liveth and the words of the sixth verse are But now we are delivered from the Law that being dead wherein wee were holden c. Evan. I know right well that in our last Translation the words are so rendred but godly and learned Tindall renders it thus Remember yee not brethren that the Law hath dominion over a man as long as it endureth and B. Hall paraphraseth upon it thus Know yee not brethren that the Mosaicall Law hath dominion over a man that is subject unto it so long as the said Law is in force So likewise Origen Ambrose and Erasmus doe all agree that by these words while Hee or it liveth wee are to understand as long as the Law remayneth And Peter Martyr is of opinion that these wordes while Hee or it liveth or indifferently referred eyther to the law are to the man for sayth hee The man is said to bee dead Verse the fourth and the law is said to bee dead Verse the sixth even so because the word He or it mentioned Verse the first doth signifie both sexes in the Greek Chrysostome thinketh that the death both of the law and the man is insinuated And Theophylact Erasmus Bucer and Calvin doe all understand the sixth Verse of the law being dead And as the death of a believer to the law was accomplished by the death of Christ even so also was the laws death to him Even as M. Fox in his Sermon of Christ crucified testifieth saying Here have wee upon one Crosse two Crucifixes two the most excellent Potentates that ever were the Sonne of God and the Law of God wrastling together about mans salvation both cast downe and both slaine upon one Crosse howbeit not after a like sort first the Sonne of God was cast downe and took the fall not for any weaknesse in himselfe but was content to take it for our victory by this fall the law of God in casting him downe was caught in his one trip and so was fast nayled hand and foot to the Crosse according as we read in S. Pauls words 1 Col. 2.14 And so Luther speaking to the same point sayth this was a wonderfull combate where the law being a creature giveth such an assault to his Creatour in practizing his whole tyranny upon the Sonne of God now therefore because the law did so horribly and cursedly sinne against his God it is cursed and arraigned and as a thiefe and cursed murderer of the Son of God looseth all his right and deserveth to be condemned the law therefore is bound dead and crucified to mee it is not only overcome condemned and slaine unto Christ but also to mee believing in him unto whom hee hath freely given this victory now then although according to the Apostles intimation Romans the seventh at the beginning though the Covenant of workes and man by nature bee mutually engaged each to other so long as they both live yet if when the wife bee dead the husband bee free then much more when he is dead also Nom. But I pray Sir what are wee to understand by this double death or wherein doth this freedome from the law consist Evan. Death is nothing else but a dissolution or an untying of a compound or a separation between matter and forme and therefore when the soule and body of man is separated wee say hee is dead so that by this double death wee are to understand nothing else but that the bargaine or covenant which was made betweene GOD and man at first is dissolved or untyed or that the matter and forme of the Covenant of works is separated to a believer so that the Law of the ten Commandements doth neyther promise eternall life nor threaten eternall death to a believer upon condition of his obedience or disobedience to it neyther doth a believer as hee is a believer eyther hope for eternall life or feare eternall death upon any such termes no wee may assure our selves that whatsoever the Law sayth on any such tearmes it sayth to them who are under the Law But believers are not under the Law but under Grace and so have escaped eternall death and obtained eternall life onely by faith in Jesus Christ For by him all that believe are justified from all things from which they could not be justified by the Law of Moses For God so loved the World that he gave his onely begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life And this is that Covenant of Grace which as I told you was made with the Fathers by way of promise and so but darkly but now the fulnesse of time being come it was more fully opened and promulgated Ant. Well Sir now I doe perceive there was little difference betwixt the Jews Covenant of Grace and ours Evan. Truly the opposition betwixt the Jews Covenant of Grace and ours was chiefly of their owne making they should have been driven to Christ by the Law but they expected life in obedience to it and this was their great errour and mistake Ant. And truly Sir it is no great marvell though they in this point did so much erre and mistake who had the Covenant of Grace made known to them so darkly when many amongst us who have it more cleerly manifest do the like Evan. And truly it is no marvell though all men naturally do so for man naturally doth apprehend God to be the great master of heaven and himselfe to be his servant and that therefore he must do his work before hee can have his wages and the more work he doth the better wages he shall have And hence it it was that when Aristotle came to speak of blessednes to pitch upon the next means to that end he said it was operation working with whom also agreeth Pythagoras when he saith It is mans felicity to be like unto God as how by becoming righteous and holy and let us not marvell that these men did so erre who never heard of Christ nor of the Covenant of grace when those to whom it was made known by the Apostles of Christ did the like witnesse those to whom the Apostle Paul wrote his Epistles and especially the Galathians for although hee had by his preaching when he was present with them made