Selected quad for the lemma: heaven_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
heaven_n	earth_n	glory_n	let_v	6,078	5	4.5887	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A39674	Planelogia, a succinct and seasonable discourse of the occasions, causes, nature, rise, growth, and remedies of mental errors written some months since, and now made publick, both for the healing and prevention of the sins and calamities which have broken in this way upon the churches of Christ, to the great scandal of religion, hardening of the wicked, and obstruction of Reformation : whereunto are subjoined by way of appendix : I. Vindiciarum vindex, being a succinct, but full answer to Mr. Philip Cary's weak and impertinent exceptions to my Vindiciæ legis & fæderis, II. a synopsis of ancient and modern Antinomian errors, with scriptural arguments and reasons against them, III. a sermon composed for the preventing and healing of rents and divisions in the churches of Christ / by John Flavell ... ; with an epistle by several divines, relating to Dr. Crisp's works.	Flavel, John, 1630?-1691.	1691 (1691)	Wing F1175; ESTC R21865	194,574	498

to perishing can never truly and properly be said to be saved If it be said the Elect were not justified till the death of Christ I demand then what became of all them that died before the death of Christ If they were not justified they could not be glorified for this is sure from Rom. 8. 30. That the whole number of the glorified in Heaven is made up of such as were justified on Earth Let men take heed therefore lest under pretence of exalting Christ they bereave him of the glory of being the Saviour of his Elect. 2. It bereaves him of another glorious Royalty The Scripture every-where makes our Justification the result and fruit of the meritorious death of Christ Rom. 3. 24 25. Rom. 8. 3 4. 2 Cor. 5. 19 20. Gal. 3. 13 14. Eph. 1. 7. But if men were justified from Eterternity how is their Justification the fruit and result of the blood of the Cross as it plainly appears from these Scriptures to be Nay 3. This Opinion leaves no place for the satisfaction of Justice by the Blood of Christ for our Sins He did not die according to this Opinion to pay our debts And here Antinomianism and Socinianism meet and congratulate each other For if there were no debts owing to the Justice of God from Eternity Christ could not die to pay them and 't is manifest there were no debts due to God's Justice from Eternity on the account of his Elect if the Elect were from Eternity justified unless you will say a person may be justified and yet his debts not paid for all Justification dissolves the obligation to punishment If there were any debts for Christ to pay by his Blood they must either be his own debts or the Elect's To say they were his own is a blasphemous reproach to him and according to this Opinion we cannot say they were the Elect's for if they were justified from Eternity their debts were discharged and their bonds cancell'd from Eternity So that this Opinion leaves nothing to the Blood of Christ to discharge or make satisfaction for 2. And as it hath been proved to be highly injurious to the Lord Jesus so it is greatly injurious to the Souls of men as it naturally leads them into all those wild and licentious Opinions which naturally flow from it as from the radical prolifique Error whence most of the rest derive themselves as will immediately appear in the II. Error That Iustification by Faith is no more but the manifestation to us of what was really and actually done before Or a being persuaded more or less of Christ's love to us And that when persons do believe that which was hid before doth then only appear to them Refutation As the former Error dangerously corrupts the Doctrine of Justification so this corrupts the Doctrine of Faith and therefore deserves to be exploded by all Christians That there is a manifestation and discovery of the special love of God and our own saving concernment in the death of Christ to some Christians at some times cannot be denied St. Paul could say Gal. 2. 20 21. Christ loved him and gave himself for him but to say that this is the justifying act of Faith whereby a Sinner passeth from condemnation and death into the state of righteousness and life this I must look upon as a great Error and that for these following Reasons Reason I. Because there be multitudes of believing and justified Persons in the World who have no such manifestation evidence or assurance that God laid their Iniquities upon Christ and that he died to put away their Sins but daily conflict with strong fears and doubts whether it be so or no. There are but few among Believers that attain such a persuasion and manifestation as Antinomians make to be all that is meant in Scripture by Justification through Faith Many thousand new-born Christians live as the new-born Babe which neither knows its own Estate or Inheritance to which it is born Vivit est vitae nescius ipse suae A Soul may be in Christ and a justified state without any such persuasion or manifestation as they here speak of Isa. 50. 10. And if any shall assert the contrary he will condemn the greatest part of the Generation of God's Children Now that cannot be the saving and justifying act of Faith which is not to be found in multitudes of believing and justified Persons But manifestation or a personal persuasion of the love of God to a Man's Soul or that Christ died for him and all his Iniquities are thereby forgiven him is not to be found in multitudes of believing and justified Souls Therefore such a persuasion or manifestation is not that saving justifying Faith which the Scripture speaks of That Faith which only justifies the person of a Sinner before God must necessarily be found in all justified Believers or else a man may be justified without the least degree of justifying Faith and consequently it is not Faith alone by which a man is justified before God Reason II. That cannot be the justifying act of Faith which is not constant and abiding with the justified Person but comes and goes is frequently lost and recovered the state of the Person still remaining the same And such contingent things are these persuasions and manifestations they come and go are won and lost the state of the Person still remaining the same Iob was as much a justified Believer when he complained that God was his Enemy as when he could say I know that my Redeemer liveth The same may be said of David Heman Asaph and the greatest number of justified Believers recorded in Scripture There be two things belonging to a justified state 1. That which is essential and inseparable to wit Faith uniting the Soul to Christ. 2. That which is contingent and separable to wit evidence and persuasion of our interest in him Those Believers that walk in darkness and have no light have yet a real special interest in God as their God Isa. 50. 10. Here then you find Believers without persuasion or manifestation of God's love to them which could never be if justifying Faith consisted in a personal persuasion manifestation or evidence of the love of God and pardon of Sin to a Man's Soul That cannot be the justifying Faith spoken of in Scripture which a justified Person may live in Christ without and be as much in a state of pardon and acceptation with God when he wants it as when he hath it But such is persuasion evidence or manifestation of a man's particular interest in the love of God or the pardon of his Sins Therefore this is not the justifying Faith the Scripture speaks of Reason III. That only is justifying saving Faith which gives the Soul Right and Title to Christ and the saving benefits which come by Christ upon all the Children of God Now it is not persuasion that Christ is ours but acceptance of him that gives us interest in Christ and the

and so great evils in them as makes them admire at his patience that they are not consumed in their Iniquities They find cause enough to suspect their own sincerity doubt the truth of their Faith and of their Graces and are therefore frequent and serious in the trial and examination of their own states by Scripture-marks and signs They urge the Commands and Threatnings as well as the Promises upon their own hearts to promote Sanctification Excite themselves to duty and watchfulness against Sin They also encourage themselves by the rewards of obedience knowing their labour is not in vain in the Lord. And all this while they look not for that in themselves which is only to be found in Christ nor for that in the Law which is only to be found in the Gospel nor for that on Earth which is only to be found in Heaven This is the way that they take And he that shall tell them their Sins can do them no hurt or their Duties do them no good speaks to them not only as a Barbarian in a Language they understand not but in such a Language as their Souls detest and abhor Moreover The zeal and love of Christ and his Glory being kindled in their Souls they have not patience to hear such Doctrines as so greatly derogate from his Glory under a pretence of honouring and exalting him It wounds and grieves their very hearts to see the World hardned in their prejudices against Reformation and a gap opened to all licentiousness But notwithstanding this double Antidote and Security we find by daily experience such Doctrines too much obtaining in the professing World For my own part He that searches my Heart and Reins is witness I would rather chuse to have my right hand wither and my tongue rot within my mouth than to speak one word or write one line to cloud or diminish the Free-grace of God Let it arise and shine in its Meridian Glory None owes more to it or expects more from it than I do And what I shall write in this Controversy is to vindicate it from those Doctrines and Opinions which under pretence of exalting it do really militate against it To begin therefore with the first and leading Error Error I. That the Iustification of Sinners is an immanent and eternal act of God not only preceding all acts of sin but the very existence of the sinner himself and so perfectly abolishing sin in our persons that we are as clean from sin as Christ himself 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as some of them have spoken To stop the progress of this Error I shall 1. Lay down the Sentence of the Orthodox about it 2. Offer some Reasons for the refutation of it 1. That which I take to be the truth agreed upon and asserted by sound reformed Divines touching Gospel-Justification is by them made clear to the World in these following Scriptural distinctions of it Justification may be considered under a twofold respect or habitude 1. According to God's Eternal Decree Or 2. According to the execution thereof in time 1. According to God's Eternal Decree and Purpose and in this respect Grace is said to be given us in Christ before the World began 2 Tim. 1. 9. And we are said to be predestinated to the adoption of Children by Jesus Christ Eph. 1. 5. 2. According to the execution thereof in time So they again distinguish it by considering it two ways 1. In its Impetration by Christ. 2. In its Application to us That very mercy or privilege of Justification which God from all Eternity purely out of his benevolent Love purposed and decreed for his Elect was also in time purchased for them by the death of Christ Rom. 5. 9 10. where we are said to be justified by his Blood and he is said to have made peace through the Blood of his Cross to reconcile all things to himself Col. 1. 20. to be delivered for our Offences and raised again for our Justification Rom. 4. 25. Once more That God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself not imputing their trespasses 2 Cor. 5. 19. God the Father had in the death of Christ a foundation of reconciliation whereby he became propitious to his Elect that he might absolve and justify them Again 2. It must be considered in its application to us which application is made in this Life at the time of our effectual Calling When an elect Sinner is united to Christ by Faith and so passeth from Death to Life from a state of Condemnation into a state of Absolution and Favour this is our actual Justification Rom. 5. 1. Acts 13. 39. Iohn 5. 24. which actual Justification is again considered two ways 1. Universally and in General as to the State of the Person 2. Specially and Particularly as to the Acts of Sin As soon as we are received into Communion with Christ and his Righteousness is imputed by God and received by Faith immediately we pass from a state of Death and Condemnation to a state of Life and Justification and all Sins already committed are remitted without Exception or Revocation and not only so but a Remedy is given us in the Righteousness of Christ against Sins to come and tho these special and particular Sins we afterward fall into do need particular Pardons yet by renewed Acts of Faith and Repentance the Believer applies to himself the Righteousness of Christ and they are pardoned Again they carefully distinguish betwixt 1. It 's Application by God to our Persons And 2. It 's Declaration or Manifestation in us and to us Which Manifestation or Declaration is either 1. Private in the Conscience of a Believer Or 2. Publick at the Bar of Judgment And thus Justification is many ways distinguished And notwithstanding all this it is still actus indivisus an undivided act not on our part for it is iterated in many acts but on God's part who at once decreed it and on Christ's part who by one Offering purchased it and at the time of our Vocation universally applied it as to the state of the Person justified and that so effectually as no future Sin shall bring that Person any more under Condemnation In this Sentence or Judgment the Generality of Reformed Orthodox Divines are agreed and the want of distinguishing as they according to Scripture have distinguished hath led the Antinomians into this first Error about Justification and that Error hath led them into most of the other Errors That this Doctrine of theirs which teaches that Men are justified actually and compleatly before they have a being is an Error and hath no solid Foundation to support it may be evidenced by these three Reasons 1. Because it is Irrational 2. Because it is Unscriptural 3. Because it is Injurious to Christ and the Souls of Men. It is Irrational to imagine that Men are actually justified before they have a Being by an immanent Act or Decree of God Many things have been urged upon this

pardon The desert of Sin is Hell 't is an artifice of Satan to draw men to Sin by persuading them there is no great evil in it but none except Fools will believe it Fools indeed make a mock of Sin but all that understand either the intrinsick evil of it or the sad and dismal effects produced by it are far from thinking it a light or inconsiderable evil The sins even of Believers greatly wrong and offend their God Psal. 51. 4. and is that a light thing with us They interrupt and clog our Communion with God Rom. 7. 21. They grieve the good Spirit of God Ephes. 4. 30. Certainly these are no inconsiderable mischiefs 3. Now if there be sin in Believers and so much evil in their sins neither of which any sober Christian will deny then undoubtedly it is their duty to confess it freely mourn for it bitterly and pray for the pardon of it earnestly unless God have any where discharged them from those Duties and told them these are none of their concernments and that he expects not these things from justified persons but that these are Duties properly and only belonging to other Men. But on the contrary you find the whole current of Scripture running strongly and constantly in direct opposition to such idle and sinful notions For first 1. He hath plainly declared it to be his will that his people should confess their sins before him and strongly connected their Confessions with their Pardons 1 Iohn 5. 9. and frequently suspends from them the comfortable sense of forgiveness till their Hearts be brought to this duty Psal. 32. 5. compared with vers 3. 4. the more to engage them to this duty by the sensible ease and comfort attending and following it 2. He also enjoyns it upon them That they mourn for their Sins Isa. 22. 12. expresses his great delight in contrition and brokenness of spirit for sin Isa. 66. 2. To this man will I look even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit Christ himself pronounces a blessing upon them that mourn Matt. 5. 4. Justified Paul mournfully confesses his former blasphemies persecutions and injuries done against Christ 1 Tim. 1. 13. So did Ezra Daniel and other eximious Saints Yes say some they did indeed confess their sins committed before their justification but not their after-sins According to Antinomian Principles I would demand If all the Elect were justified from Eternity what sins any of them could confess which they had committed before their Justification Or if they were justified from the time of Christ's death what were the Sins any of us have to confess who had not a being and therefore had not actually sinned long after the death of Christ But I hope none will deny that the mournful complaints the Apostle makes for Sin Rom. 7. 23 24. were after he was a sanctified and justified person 3. It is not the Will of Christ to exempt any justified person upon Earth from the Duty of Praying frequently and fervently for the remission of his sins This the most eminent Saints upon Earth have done The greatest favourites of Heaven have freely confessed and heartily prayed for the remission of sin Dan. 9. 4 19. And that the Gospel gives us no exemption from this Duty appears by Christ's injunction of it upon all his people Matt. 6. 12. Error V. To give countenance to the former Error they say That God sees no sin in Believers whatsoever sins they commit and seek a covert for this Error from Numb 23. 21. and Ier. 50. 20. In the former place it is said by Balaam He hath not beheld inquity in Iacob nor seen perverseness in Israel And in the other place it is said In those days and in that time saith the Lord the iniquity of Israel shall be sought for and there shall be none and the sins of Iudah and they shall not be found for I will pardon them whom I reserve Refutation Now that this Opinion of our Antinomians is Erroneous will appear four ways 1. By its repugnancy to God's Omniscience 2. By its inconsistency with his Dispensations 3. By its want of a Scripture-foundation 4. By its contradictoriness to their other Principles 'T is true and we thankfully acknowledge it that God sees no Sin in Believers as a Judge sees Guilt in a Malefactor to condemn him for it that 's a sure and comfortable truth for us but to say he sees no Sin in his Children as a displeased Father to correct and chasten them for it is an Assertion repugnant to Scripture and very injurious to God For 1. 'T is injurious to God's Omniscience Psal. 139. 2. Thou saith holy David knowest my down-sitting and my uprising and understandest my thoughts of afar off and art acquainted with all my ways Job 28. 24. He looketh to the ends of the Earth and seeth under the whole Heavens Prov. 15. 3. The Eyes of the Lord are in every place beholding the evil and the good Psal. 33. 14 15. From the place of his habitation he looketh upon all the Inhabitants of the Earth he fashioneth their hearts alike he considereth all their works He that denies that God seeth his most secret Sins therein in consequentially denies him to be God 2. This Assertion is inconsistent with God's Providential Dispensations to his People When David a justified Believer had sinned against him in the matter of Vriah it is said 2 Sam. 11. 27. The thing that David had done displeased the Lord and as the effect of that displeasure it 's said Chap. 12. 15. The Lord struck the Child that Uriah's Wife bare unto David and it was very sick Among the Corinthians some that should not be condemned with the World were judged and chastened of the Lord for their undue approaches to his Table 1 Cor. 11. 32. Now I would ask the Antinomian these two Questions 1. Qu. Whether it can be denied that David under the Old Testament and these Corinthians under the New were justified Persons and yet the former stricken by God in his Child with its sickness and death and the latter in like manner smitten by God in their own persons and both for their respective sins committed against God and yet God saw no sin in them Did God smite them for sin and yet beheld no sin them Beware lest in ascribing such strokes to god you strike at once both at his Omnisciency and Justice 2. Qu. How God upon Confession and Repentance can be said to put away his People's sins as Nathan there assures David he had done when in the mean time he saw no sin in him either to chastise him for or to pardon in him Do you think that God's A●flictions or Pardons are blind-fold Acts done at random how inconsistent is this with Divine Dispensations 3. This Opinion is altogether destitute of a Scripture-foundation 't is evident it hath none in the only places alledged for it It hath no footing at all in Numb 23. 21.