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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
earth_n	body_n	heaven_n	soul_n	16,244	5	5.2792	4	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A74995	A glass of justification, or The vvork of faith with povver. Wherein the apostles doctrine touching justification without the deeds of the law, is opened; and the sence in which gospel-obedience, as well as faith, is necessary to justification, is stated. Wherein also the nature of that dead faith is detected, by which multitudes that hope for salvation are (as is to be feared) deceived; and the true nature and distinguishing properties of the faith of Gods elect, is handled. Finally, the doctrine of the imputation of faith for righteousness is herein also briefly discussed; and the great wisdom and folly of men about the proof of their faith, touched ... By William Allen, a poor servant to the Lord Jesus.	Allen, William, d. 1686.	1658 (1658)	Wing A1065; Thomason E948_7; ESTC R207578	191,802	230

and soundness to it to repair the breach that sin hath made there to restore the image of God which is decayed in the Soul and the like Rom. 6.14 Mic. 7.19 1 Thes 5.23 24. Ezek. 36.25 c. Isa 57.18 Hos 14.4 2 Pet. 1.4 And yet this grace of God is not wont to make any great or considerable progress in this work till Faith in men draw this mortifying power and healing vertue from him And therefore the purification of the Soul and sanctification of the person is sometimes ascribed unto their Faith as well as unto the power of Gods grace Acts 15.9 26.18 And that it is so is not only because it is instrumental in the hand of Gods grace to effect it but also because it is a powerful means of atracting and drawing the vertue power and grace of God to engage in this work God so pleasing that it should so do It fares with the Soul in respect of spiritual Diseases and the cure of them now Christ is in heaven as it did with the bodies of some in respect of natural Diseases and the cure of them when he was on earth There was alwayes power and vertue enough in Christ to heal them and yet the cure was not wrought until Faith was set on work to draw out vertue from Christ The Woman that had an issue of bloud twelve years though she had used many means and spent all upon the Physitians yet was never cured no not by Christ himself neither until she came to touch his garment and by her Faith drew vertue from him and then the cure was soon wrought Christ casts her cure upon her Faith saying Daughter thy Faith hath made thee whole Mark 5.34 Certainly it was the power of Christ and the vertue that went out of him that made her whole vers 30. but in as much as this was not drawn out into act till her Faith was active in it therefore is the cure ascribed unto her Faith And upon like account is it that we meet with such passages as these If thou beleevest all things are possible Mark 9.23 According to your Faith be it unto you Matth. 9.29 What is the reason may we think why so few of those vast multitudes in the world that languish under their spiritual Diseases are cured but that for the generality of them they are like to die eternally of them Certainly it is not because there is not vertue enough in Christ to heal them all but the reason is because there is so few that touch him by Faith to draw vertue out of him for their cure Nay they are afraid of being healed like some Beggars who keep their Sores open and unhealed on purpose because they make an advantage of them as they do of theirs such as it is Matth. 13.15 They have closed their eyes c. lest they should be converted and I should heal them And what 's the reason why many that are in part healed yet are not more thorowly cured But that there are too many signs and symptomes of their old Disease still hanging upon them and many grudgings of their old fits so that the Case remains in doubt with them whether they shall live or die Surely it is because though they have some kind of Faith yet they do not exercise it about this thing or but very little It may be they may have more communion with the riches of Gods grace the value and efficacy of Christs bloud in relation to pardon and Gods unwillingness to destroy and readiness to forgive poor sinners but have not acquainted themselves much with that heavenly art and method of Faith by which the Saints depend upon the Lord for his communication of vertue and strength for the healing of their Souls of spiritual distempers and restoring them to a spiritual health and soundness There 's no doubt but that the Lord Jesus is as much affected with the diseases that annoy mens Souls as ever he was with those that afflicted the body and delights every whit as much in the cure of the spiritual as ever he did in healing the corporal in as much as his own glory and his creatures good are more concerned in these than in the other But that which obstructed the cure of mens bodies and Souls too by Christ when he was on earth obstructs the perfect cure of mens souls by him now he is in heaven and that is the want of Faith in them that should be cured Christ could do no mighty works in this kind in some places where he came save on a very few that did beleeve because of their Vnbelief Matth. 13.58 compared with Mar. 6.5 6. As it was in the dayes of Eliseus as Christ observes when there were many Lepers in Israel needed cleansing as well as Naaman the Syrian and yet none were cleansed by the Prophet but Naaman for that none but he had Faith to seek it and qualifie them for it so was it with many in Israel in the days of Christ who though they had as much need of healing as any that were healed yet went without it for that they had not that Faith in the Lord by which those that were healed drew vertue from him for their cure Luke 4.23 with 27. 6.19 And so it is now the true reason why the Leprosie of the Soul is not cured in all as well as in some is because they do not by Faith draw vertue from Christ in whom it is for their cure It is not because Christ is not as sensible of the condition of men now he is in heaven as he was while he was on earth For we have not an High Priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities Heb. 4.15 Nor is it because he is not as able now both to compassionate and succour them as ever For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted he is able to succour them that are tempted Heb. 2.18 But as I say the reason of mens languishing under their spiritual diseases either without any cure at all or that which is very imperfect is either because they do not come to Christ at all for cure or but very faintly either not knowing where it is to be had or not truly and thorowly desiring it of him or not having confidence enough of obtaining it from him Ye will not come to me said he that ye might have life Joh. 5.40 and therefore they go without it And so if men will not come to Christ for health and cure no marvel if they remain unhealthful in their souls The Lord makes Promise it 's true of taking away the old heart and of giving a new which is but the removing of the disease of the soul and giving it health and soundness but yet so as that he will be sought unto by men to do it for them Ezek. 36.26 with 37. So that if they do not make their serious and hearty applications to him for it upon the

Thorns Lusts and sinful Affections may grow up too and dwell together in the same man But then there are other words of the same Lord and of the same Gospel of Salvation which put men upon denying themselves to please the Lord and crossing their own sinful inclinations and wills that they may fulfill the will of the Lord there are words that enjoyn us to crucifie the Old-man with the affections and lusts to mortifie our members which are upon the earth to cut off the right hand and pluck out the right eye to put our selves to the utmost extremity of suffering and distasting the flesh rather than to harbour any guest in the soul to distast our dear Lord. But now here the word is encountred by sinful affections the love of mens own selves their ease their pleasure their reputations with men and for the maintenance and support of these the love and desire of riches takes place with them and their desire and love to these puts them upon many unlovely strains to compass them in a word they love to please and to be pleased of men and to have all things go on smoothly with them and here the word of Christ and their wills fall cross his honour to be by them upheld in a close following of him and the upholding of their own honour among men clash Christs spiritual interest and their carnal interest will not consist but one must give way if they will please the Lord they must many times displease themselves and others too and to enjoy his love and keep a good conscience must be content to be without much and sometimes to loose all those worldly accomodations which the flesh priseth very much And however the other part of the Word and lust might grow up together yet this part of the Word and lust cannot remain in any power and operation in the same subject but will be fighting and if the affections as a third party side with lusts against the Word or if more corditially adhere to them than to the Word the Word is presently choked and over-born by the power of the flesh as the Corn by Thorns and brings no fruit to perfection These are the Men and this their character who are the hearers and professors of the Word of the Gospel resembled by the thorny ground which as I intimated before go a step further than those that do believe for a time only and consequently must not only be such as do in a sence believe as the others did but also such as hold out and persevere in their Faith unto the end Neither probably is that the reason why their Faith holds out rather than the others as if it were a Faith of a better kind or constitution or stronger than theirs but rather because it is not put to that stress and tryal which the others Faith could not endure it 's very like that if the Faith of the thorny-ground hearer should be put to it by persecution as the Faith of the stony-ground hearer is said to be his Faith might give in and fail as well as the others For the reason why the stony-ground hearers Faith fail'd him is because it is not rooted and grounded in love he loves his Honour his Estate his Relations or at least his Life more than Christ which whosoever does cannot be his Disciple or be deemed worthy of him whatever his Knowledge or Faith otherwise may be and therefore when by the tryal of persecution he is put to his choice to renounce his Faith or his Life or other Enjoyments he adheres to that which he loves most to wit his outward enjoyments and declines the Lord in his Word Worship and Wayes which he loves less Though it does not alwayes follow that those who upon a carnal account will not publickly own the Lord when the confessing of him and his truth proves so costly to them do at the same time let go that inward perswasion which they had of him and his truth before the tryal came the Rulers at the same time while they durst not confess Christ openly yet then inwardly believed on him John 12.42 A practice set on foot by some in the Apostles times and as it seems avouched as lawful by some outwardly to deny Christ in time of persecution if they did in the mean time inwardly believe in him which surely is one of those damnable heresies Peter speaks of privily brought into the Church by false Teachers 2 Pet. 2.1 There shall be false Teachers among you who privily shall bring in damnable heresies even denying the Lord that bought them and bring upon themselves swift destruction If they had taught Men not to believe at all on Christ it would not have been called heresie but either infidelity or apostacy nor could they lightly have privily brought such a Doctrine into the Church but would easily have been discerned by all Christians to be Enemies to Christ besides those that followed their pernicious tenents and wayes did occasion the way of truth to be evil spoken of verse 2. Which would not have been if they had been profest Enemies to it the pernicious ways of a Man after he is turned Jew or Turk though once a Christian does not cause the Christian Religion to be Evil spoken of But however whether Men fal away totally both from the inward perswasion and outward profession of the Faith they had once imbraced or only in part from the publick profession of it so far as to secure themselves from persecution it proceeds from the same cause and that is the want of that ingredient in their Faith which is the peculiar property of the Faith of Gods Elect to wit an affectionate cleaving to Christ as more desirable than life There 's the same reason as to the internal cause why the Faith of the thorny ground-hearer falls short of Salvation and that is the want of that mixture of Love I speak of For though they may believe Christ to be the Saviour and expect Salvation by him and for that cause bear some good affection to him yet their Love working stronger to Riches Honours and Pleasures for their sakes to ways and things by which these may be enjoyed thence it comes to pass that the Lusts of these things carry it against Christ and his Word who draw another way Now because this sort of men may hold that dead Faith which they have and the profession of it too and yet retain their Worldly Lusts also yea and make an outward and fleshly advantage of such a Faith and profession many times thence it comes to pass that they do not fall away as the other but persevere herein unto the end the difference of the ones falling and the others standing does not lye in the difference of their Faith but in the different nature of their temptations the one is necessitated to part with his Faith or Lusts the other is not This latter sort of ground therefore clearly resembles

his eyes Secondly That in order to his receiving his expectation from God his Faith kept him tite and close to God in the way of his Worship and Service so that he would not be turned out of this a hairs breadth for all the dread of the Lions Den but though he knew the snar that was laid for him that in case he prayed to his God as formerly he must be offered up in Sacrifice to the devouring Lions yet for all that the Text saith That he kneeled upon his knees three times a day and Prayed and gave thanks before his God as he did afore-time Dan. 6.10 As he depended upon God and not on Darius the King for his happiness so he was resolved he would faithfully cleave to the Lord and please him whoever was displeased or whatever it cost him If his way his direct way to his future happiness lie through the Lions Den he does not seek to go about if the path-way of Gods service leads thither then thither his Faith carries him His Faith we see brought him into the Lions Den but it did not leave him there as it brought him in so it brought him out too He was taken up out of the Den and no manner of hurt was found upon him because he beleeved in his God The like we see of them whose Faith quenched the violence of fire Heb. 11.33 As their Faith quenched the violence of fire when they were in it so it was their Faith too that brought them into it But how viz. By engaging them fast to God his Worship and Way keeping them in an hour of temptation from being shaken in their loyalty and fidelity to God for all the formidable pompe of Nebuchadnezzar and the horrour of his hot fiery Furnace Dan. 3.13 28. They trusted in God for Salvation but would have no other but what the holy Commandment of God faithfully stuck to would bring them to The Word of the Lord will try men as it did them if they take hold of it by Faith and will not let it go it will sometimes draw them into the fire and into the water but if they still hold fast by it it will at last bring them out into a wealthy place Psal 66.10 11 12. But you see the Saints confidence of its being a certain and most infallible guide to conduct them to their desired and expected felicity hath still caused them to trust themselves with it and to follow it through thick and thin foul way as well as fair Sect. 4 The Faith of David the man after Gods own heart and one of those Worthies mentioned Heb. 11.32 was notable this way also Psal 62.5 My Soul wait thou only upon God for my expectation is from him Where note first That his expectation to wit of Salvation as in the next verse he only is my Salvation it was from God and from God only Secondly This his dependance upon God for Salvation as knowing it was to be had from him only and from none else drew him to wait only upon God in order to his receiving of it And what 's that but his attending upon God alwayes to do his Will as a Servant that waits upon his Master as ready alwayes to be at his beck As the eyes of Servants look unto the hand of their Masters and as the eyes of a Maiden unto the hand of her Mistriss so our eyes wait upon the Lord our God Psal 123.2 Just as it is between great men that are able to prefer others and those that expect to be preferred by them is it not common for such to be cast into the very mould of the will and pleasure of such from whom they expect advancement Are they not glad of any opportunity of gratifying and pleasing them Every man saith Solomon is a friend to him that giveth gifts Prov. 19.6 And thereupon it is that we use to say they are their creatures And most certain it is that the Saints expectation of being preferred by God to endless dignity and glory works alike deportment in them towards God as we see here in David with the rest before-mentioned If he expects only from God he resolves to wait only upon God Since God only can do for him that which he desires more than all things his care is to be sure to please him whoever he displeaseth Whatever temptations he met with to the contrary whatever his constant waiting upon God cost him yet this expectation of his from God held him close to God as well it might And therefore we have him oft expressing himself thus They had almost consumed me upon earth but I forsook not thy Precepts Psal 119.87 My Soul is continually in my hand yet do I not forget thy Law vers 109. Many are my persecutors and mine enemies yet do I not decline from thy testimonies vers 157. Princes have persecuted me without a cause but my heart standeth in awe of thy word vers 161. Why did David stick so close to Gods Word whenas we see his so doing procured him so many enemies and exposed him to such dangers from men Surely because his expectation was only from God and therefore he judged it most reasonable to forsake all to wait on him his heart stood more in awe of his Word than of the frowns and malicious practises of the greatest of men Psal 119.57 Thou art my portion O Lord I have said that I would keep thy words When he said Thou art my portion O Lord it was the voice and language of his Faith for without that he could claim no such interest in God But mark this that the same Faith which enabled him to say unto God Thou art my portion enabled him also to say unto him I will keep thy words when once he comes to depend upon God as his portion and to expect the whole of his felicity from him he presently comes to this resolution That he will be ruled by his advice and ordered in all things by his words We have the same spiritual breath in Psal 119.166 Lord I have hoped for thy Salvation and done thy Commandments All men in a manner hope for Salvation but few do the Commands and that 's the reason why so many shall be disappointed of their hope but the hope and confidence of the right kind still puts them in whom it is upon doing the Commandments reason and ingenuity requiring That such should fulfil the Lords Will who expect to have their will and desire fulfilled by him in granting them Salvation Besides the order and relation which God hath established between Salvation as the end and the walk in his Commandments as the way layes a regular necessity upon every mans Faith to beleeve it to be every whit as necessary for a man to be as careful to keep the right way as to be confident of coming to the desired end and so was the Psalmist we see whose hope of Salvation and doing the Commandments went hand in

Luke 18.5 or at the best to allay the clamour of Conscience The Apostle clearly supposes that men may give Alms upon such termes that their very giving shall rather demonstrate them to be covetous men than charitable else what does he mean when he sayes that he took such and such course about the Collection in the Church of Corinth for other poor Saints that it might proceed from them as matter of bounty and not of covetousnesse 2 Cor. 9.5 And that he had herein an eye upon niggardlinesse in giving we are induced to beleeve by the very next words verse 6. But this I say that he which sows sparingly shall reap sparingly and he which soweth bountifully shall reap bountifully And therefore when there is so great a disproportion between mens giving and their ability to give both in respect of number and quantity of their gifts as is too common among men their Alms-deeds will never amount unto a proof of the truth reality or sincerity of their Christian love but rather on the contrary prove an argument of the want of that grace For whence proceeds this straitnesse of hand if it be traced but from narrownesse and straitnesse of heart and that from want of love for it is the very nature of love where it is to open and dilate the heart as the Sun does the pores of the earth which till it comes is contracted and shut up And this illiberal temper in men as it argues want of love in them so it argues want of Faith too the mother of love For whence proceeds that undue sparing and saving and lothnesse to part with any thing considerable but from a secret distrust of wanting that themselves which others call for from them If men could but beleeve and be thorowly perswaded that it is the surest way not only to provide themselves baggs that wax not old a treasure in Heaven but also to secure themselves and Children too from want and poverty here on earth they would as freely part with their money in a way of charity for so much as were meet for them to give as now they do in their Trades in hopes of defending themselves from want If such Scriptures were but turned into Faith which declare the man blessed that considereth the poor and that the Lord shall deliver him in time of trouble and preserve him alive and make him blessed on earth Psalm 41.1 2. that say the liberal man deviseth liberal things and by liberal things he shall stand Isa 32.8 The liberal soul shall be made fat and he that watereth shall be watered himself Prov. 11.25 He that hath pity on the poor lendeth to the Lord and that which he hath given will he pay him again Prov. 19.17 He that giveth to the poor shall not lack Prov. 28.27 Thou shalt surely give him and thine heart shall not be grieved when thou givest unto him viz. the poor because that for this thing the Lord thy God shall bless thee in all thy works and in all that thou puttest thy hand unto Deut. 15.10 And God is able to make all grace abound towards you that ye alwayes having all sufficiency in all things may abound to every good work 2 Cor. 9.8 I say if these and many like Scriptures were but turned into Faith they would be counted being lived to in a way of mercy liberality and bounty a thousand times better security against want than all mens pinching and sparing in their deeds of charity is like to be Prov. 11.24 There is that scattereth and yet increaseth and there is that with-holdeth more than is meet but it tendeth to poverty It 's certainly mens unbelief that binds their hearts and binds their hands from bounteous acts they must have Gods to go before them something to trust to which they see and therefore they think the deminishing of their wealth by giving will be a weakening of the prop upon which they lean And therefore these lean starved Sacrifices and niggardly Alms-deeds proceeding as they do from mens diffidence and distrust can never possibly amount unto an evidence of the goodness of their Faith It concerns every one therefore as they prize the clear evidence and proof of the sincerity of their Faith and Love to proportion their Alms-deeds in some good measure suitable to their estates as that without which such evidence and proof is not to be had Nor do I say that it is the only thing by which such assurance is to be had for the Apostle supposeth that men may possibly cut large morsels out of their estates to supply the poor and yet be void of true Christian charity when he saith Though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor and have not charity it profiteth we nothing 1 Cor. 13.3 But that proportionate distribution I speak of in conjunction with other effects of those graces will reach it though nothing that I know without this will it being an express duty Him to whom much is given of him much is required Luke 12.48 But rather give Alms as you are able so it is in the margin and behold all things are clean unto you Luke 11.41 Vpon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store as God hath prospered him 1 Cor. 16.2 Then the Disciples every man according to his ability determined to send relief unto the Brethren which dwelt in Judea which also they did Acts 11.29 Sect. 16 I cannot indeed by any rule certainly determine what proportion of his Estate or the Income of it a man as a Christian is bound ordinarily to disburse in a way of charity and that which makes this the more difficult is the great variety of circumstances that do attend mens outward conditions here in the world both in respect of their estates themselves and the necessary occasions of issuing of them forth in a way of ordinary expence As for example one man it may be hath five hundred by the year revenue and no Child another but one hundred and yet hath five or six Children Now n such a case it seems no wise reasonable to think that the same proportion suppose it to be an eighth tenth or twelfth part of a mans Income which would be it may be sufficient for the one would be sufficient for the other also And the reason of the difference is because the one hath neither the like necessary occasion of expence for the present but what is voluntary and matter of his own election and choice nor the like necessary occasion of increasing his Estate by way of future provision for Relations as the other hath but may with much more ease and reason part with a fourth or fifth part of his Income in way of charity than the other may with a tenth or twelfth For as it is neither necessary nor good Christian-like for men to advance in the costliness of their way of living to the utmost of their Income when their Estates are