Selected quad for the lemma: justice_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
justice_n	grace_n	mercy_n	sin_n	4,120	5	4.6437	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A04641	The gales of grace; or, the spirituall vvinde wherein the mysterie of sanctification is opened and handled. By Thomas Barnes ...	Barnes, Thomas, Minister of St. Margaret's, New Fish Street, London.	1622 (1622)	STC 1476; ESTC S101226	81,318	222

and say s Rom. 11.33 Oh depth of the riches both of the wisedome knowledge of God! how vnsearchable are his Iudgements and his wayes past finding out Sect. 3. Vse 2. Secondly this may well afford vs a rule of tryall by which we may come to know Examination whether euer the Gales of Grace haue sauingly blowne and breathed vpon vs yea or no for if the Winde be a fit similitude to expresse the mysterie of Regeneration then from the properties of the Winde wee may come to discerne the properties of Grace and so the regenerating worke of the Spirit of God to see whether we haue it or who haue it Take wee a view therefore of the properties of the Winde and as wee goe along let vs compare withall the properties and effects of the Spirit and we shall haue markes and notes enow to iudge by of the worke of Regeneration Signes of grace Signe 1. Purification First of all the Wind is of a purging property euen so the Spirit of God is of a purifying quality the one doth no lesse cleanse the heart then the other doth purifie the ayre and the water For this cause the holy Ghost is compared to fire t Mat. 3.11 He shall baptize you with the holy Ghost and with fire that is with the holy Ghost which is like fire and to u Eze ● 1 Water that flowed out of the Sanctuary which two Elements are of a purging and purifying nature The one serueth to purge metalls from drosse and scurfinesse and the other to cleanse cloathes and vessells from dirt and filthinesse which double resemblance what doth it signifie but that the Spirit of God is a purger and purifier of the heart which thing Paul giues his beleeuing Corinths to vnderstand For writing to them of the worke of Sanctification begunne in them he tells them w 1. Cor. 6.11 They were cleansed purged and washed by the Spirit of God Wherewithall accordeth a worthy saying of an ancient and eloquent Diuine Cypr. de S. sancto folio 32. abi gens inde quicquid tabidum est c. That the Spirit of God doth expell from the heart whatsoeuer is contagious whatsoeuer is infectious now how the Spirit doth purifie it will appeare by the like The Winde doth purge the water by mouing and troubling it and by stirring vp waue after waue vntill it hath cast vp the froth and superfluous scumme of it vpon the shoare and the Aire it doth purge two wayes first by dispelling fogges and mists How the Spirit purifieth 3. wayes both priuatiuely and positiuely Priuatiuely 1 Ignorantiam fugando 2 Impoenitentiam amouendo 3 Concupiscentiā subigendo 2 Positiuely 1 Mentem illuminando 2 Poenitētiam inserendo 3 Sanctitatem conferendo secondly by drying vp noisome puddles stinking quagmires For those things which do ordinarily infect the ayre are one of these two either misty vnwholesome vapours or noysome and vnsauoury quagmires by the remooueall of which two the Wind doth cleere and cleanse the aire euen so the holy Ghost doth purge the soule three wayes first by dispelling the spirituall fogges and mists of ignorance and blindenesse which darken the vnderstanding secondly by troubling the conscience for those sinnes which defile the whole man thirdly by drying vp that same stinking puddle of euill concupiscence and noysome lusts which haue their seate in the will and affections The first hee doth by the work of Illumination enlightening the minde with sauing knowledge the second by the worke of Humiliation breaking the heart with holy contrition and the third by the worke of Mortification and Sanctification rectifying the will with sincere obedience and the affections with holy desires heauenly loue ioy c. So that by all this wee see that wheresoeuer the holy Ghost hath breathed grace there is the worke of Spirituall purification wrought First the minde is purged from ignorance and is spiritually enlightened no sooner had the Spirit breath'd vpon Paul but the x Act. 9.18 scales fell from his eyes and the Lord beginneth the worke of Conuersion at Illumination and when he first bloweth with the blasts of Grace in vs he bestoweth spirituall eye-sight vpon vs hee enlighteneth vs to see what himselfe is in his iustice against sinne in his mercy by Christ to forgiue sinne he openeth our eyes to see our misery by natute to see the remedy of our misery by grace Vpon this spirituall eye-sight in the second place the conscience comes to be vrged and purged the soule so troubled with a consideration of being ouerwhelmed with this misery and out of Christ altogether destitute and depriued of that mercy that it cannot be at quiet one billow of sorrow one waue of griefe ariseth so vpon the necke of an other that there is no rest that it can finde no easement it can haue no contentment can be giuen it vntill the scumme and froth of all the sinnes that euer it was defiled with be brought to the shoare and set vpon the score of Christ Iesus Thou therefore whosoeuer thou art that neuer hadst the Lord Iesus to anoynt the eyes of thy soule that neuer hadst thy minde enlightened but art still in Egypt and pleasest thy selfe in thy blinde and ignorant condition that neuer sawest so much of thy misery as hath made thee bewaile thy sinfull and wofull estate nor as yet hast any care to seeke after knowledge that thou mayest come to know thy selfe aright know Christ crucified to the end thou mayst come to repentance dreame not thou that the gusts of grace are effectually infused into thy soule Againe as the mind and conscience is thus purged where these gusts are so likewise is the will purified from rebellion and that crooked and knotty peece which before was so hard to be rectified and squared that vntamed heifer which before was so vntoward to be broken and brought into any right frame to yield vnto any counsell wholesome good for the soule when the Spirit comes to blow vpon it though there be a kinde of resisting power in it is made to bend which way the Spirit pleaseth to encline to the wayes of life insomuch that the creature shall with holy Dauid say I am content to doe thy will O God Lastly as the Will from rebellion the Conscience from impenitencie the Vnderstanding from ignorance so if grace be wrought in thee thy affections wil be purged from the drosse of vnbeliefe from the loue of earthly things S. sanctus carnaeles hebetat sensus conterit appetitus Cypr. from the vanity of carnall and sensuall desires and like a man mortified and sanctified dead wilt thou be to the lusts of the flesh bringing them daily to the slaughter and aliue to God through Iesus Christ our Lord and those euils which formerly were most delightsome to the flesh will then become most burthensome to the spirit Thus I say where the holy Ghost hath regenerated

contempt they debarre themselues from the breath of the spirit For if amongst those that heare the Word diligently when it is most soundly preached there be but one sort amongst foure that get any more grace by it then the common gifts of the Spirit which a reprobate may possibly attaine vnto then let them neuer looke to obtaine the Spirit sauingly that contemptuously reiect preaching as Papists doe that negligently heare preaching neuer but when themselues list now and then at their owne leisure as profane Protestants doe And if such persons remain in their vnregenerate condition vntill they come to reape the fruit of it in eternall condemnation whom can they blame but themselues What can they finde fault withall as the cause of such misery but the turning away their eares from hearing the Law Suppose a man were in a close roome where through the vnholesomnesse of the ayre he were like to be smothered and might haue libertie to goe abroad into the aire where the winde might reuiue his spirits if he should wilfully refuse to come abroad and partake of that refreshment and should rather choose to keepe in that roome were not hee worthy to be smotherd and choaked Surely yes how much more deserue they to be smothered with their sins and choaked with the stinking ayre of their corruptions who haue the word brought home euen to their doores and yet stop their eares against it chusing rather to snort vppon their couches to sit in the chimney corner to prate by the fires side to patch their cloathes as many of the poorer sort make that their Saboths worke to play and game to make bargaines to trauell about their worldly businesses then to go to the house of God where in the preaching of the word the Lord doeth offer the worke of his Spirit for the distilling of grace into the hearts of the Elect. Wherefore whosoeuer thou art that hast beene either a contemptuous despiser or a negligent hearer of a powerfull Ministery when thou mightst haue had it be humbled for this contempt reforme this negligence and now at last gather vp thy ceited in her own eyes and thence it was that they were so ful of grace Can the profane person get restraining grace so long as in the pride of his hart he thinks himselfe good enough Can the ciuill person euer get sauing grace so long as he is puffed vp with a loftie conceit of his owne righteousnesse Cā the hypocrit get sanctifying grace so long as he prides himselfe in those common gifts which he hath already It is not possible For so long as men are swolne vp with a selfe-conceit of their owne excellency with an haughty opinion of their ciuil honesty with a conceited thought of supposed sanctitie they can see cause neyther of complaining before God of their natiue filthinesse nor cause of praying vnto God for more holinesse And if they see no cause to doe thus how can they long for grace and if they neuer long for it they can neuer haue it Let the word therefore which thou hearest be effectuall with thee to bring thee out of conceit with thine owne holinesse and learne thee to see and acknowledge that thou hast nothing in thy selfe originally but natiue pollution otherwise though thou beest neuer so well esteemed in the eyes of the world Publicans and harlots shall sooner enter into the kingdome of Heauen and be blowne vppon with the winde of heauen then thou shalt Thirdly when the word hath done this notable good with thee 3 Help to sanctification as to bring thee to a base esteem of thy selfe in respect of the lacke of grace then must thy heart be softned and moistned with the teares of contrition and remorse of conscience must bee the thing which thou must striue for The Prophet c Ezek. 36 26.27 Ezechiel seemeth to intimate vnto vs that the Lord before he putteth his Spirit within vs he taketh away the stony hart from vs. d Isa 66.2 To this man will I looke saith Iehouah himselfe by Isaiah that is of a contrite spirit The more moist the earth is the more vapours ascend out of it and the more vapors rise from it the more windes blow vpon it euen so the moyster our hearts are the more tender our consciences are the more vapours of sinne will the Sunne of righteousnesse draw vp to himselfe in regard of guilt by the grace of iustification and so the more way shall be made for freedome from the reigne of sinne in the grace of sanctificatiō Why were the Scribes and Pharises so destitute of grace but because hardnesse of heart did possesse them and the spirit of slumber was vpon them whereas Peters e Acts 2 Conuerts being pricked in their consciences did beleeue and repent to the remission of their sinnes and sanctification of their soules And truely this must needes be an vndeniable truth because that when the heart is tender and soft it is like waxe capable of the impression of euery grace then the preaching of the Lawe will worke vppon it to the producing of the grace of repentance the preaching of the promises of the Gospel will worke vppon it to the breeding of a liuely faith the reuealing of the will of God concerning any necessary duty to saluation wil worke vpon it to the begetting of new obedience the experience of Gods mercies will worke vpon it to the effecting of the grace of loue the meditation of Gods iustice and power wil worke vppon it to the engendring of an holy and sonne-like feare but where this softnesse and tendernesse is not neither Law nor Gospel neither mercy nor iustice nor any thing else will auaile to imprint the least stampe of any grace vpon the soule And truly from the want of this it is that so little grace is to be found amongst the posteritie of Adam in this last age of the world Aske the Philosopher why winds are not so common in the winter and summer quarters as they are in the spring the Autumne and he will answer that the cause is from the hardnesse of the earth beeing more bound with extreamitie of frost and colde in the winter then in the autumne and more parched with vehemencie of heate in the summer then in the spring euen so aske the Diuine what is the reason why the winde of grace doth not blow as well vpon the greater number as the smaller and hee wil answer you The hardnes of mens hearts is the ground of it their hearts are frozen with the dregges of coldnes and security and they are parched and dried with the heate of their Iustes which hindereth all spirituall moysture in them and can heauens blasts blow so long as all such moysture is wanting vnto them I confesse indeede that when the Spirit beginneth first to breathe it findeth the heart of the sinner hard and impenitent but yet I say that the Spirit neuer proceedeth vnto the vp-shot of Sanctification