Selected quad for the lemma: scripture_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
scripture_n	apostle_n	faith_n	salvation_n	2,257	5	6.5868	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A01456	The way to heauen In a sermon deliuered at Saint Maries Spittle on Wednesday in Easter weeke the 27. of March. 1611. By Samuel Gardiner, Doctor of Diuinitie.	Gardiner, Samuel, b. 1563 or 4.	1611 (1611)	STC 11582; ESTC S115875	39,861	90

come to Christ the Dignation and Grace which he giueth to Infantes Which Vocation is the introduction into our state of saluation in this present life Wherfore vsually the Apostles in the frontispire forehead of their letters to the Churches speake of this Vocation Rom. 1.7.8 1. Cor. 1.2 inscribing and entitling them Saintes by calling Therefore it must needes be that whosoeuer be Elected in Christ be at their appoynted time effectually called and drawne vnto him 3. The third benefite of God and effect and proofe of our Predestination proper onely to the Elect is Fayth without which Heb. 11.6 in the testimonie of the Apostle it is impossible to please God For by this we are incorporated into Christ we are made members of his body without which Fayth no flesh can be saued In Infantos the action of Fayth which is a knowledge of Christ and confidence in him is not as not capable thereof in respect of their age but they haue notwithstanding the Spirit and life of Fayth which in processe of time will breake foorth as those Scripture p●aces prooue which teach That Saluation commeth to all by Fayth and how that without Fayth it is altogeather impossible for any to please God That this is the effect and fruite of Election the Apostle perspiciously and openly deliuereth 1. Cor. 7.25 where he witnesseth of himselfe that hee obtained mercie of the Lord that is in his sacred and secret decree of Predestination to be faythfull Wherefore whosoeuer are Predestinated to eternall life in Christ they are elected to this Fayth the effect thereof and therefore perforce they must at last beleeue in Christ 4. The fourth benefite and effect is Justification that is the free remission of our sinnes and the imputation of the righteousnes of Christ So that the forme of Iustification is as it were a kind of translation of our sinnes to Christ and of Christs righteousnesse to vs by reason of this diuine imputation It is stiled The Righteousnesse of Christ because it is out of vs and it is in the humanitie of Christ as in the subiect This naturally followeth Fayth at the heeles inasmuch as those that are endowed with this Fayth are therewithall also Iustified That this Iustification is an effect of Election Rom. 8.30 the Apostle insinuateth by setting it vpon the head of our Vocation adioyned to Predestination immediatly before Now this is not effected in vs while wee are in this world but in the Pardon of our sinnes and in the imputation of his perfect obedience to vs. 5. The fift benefit and effect is Regeneration and Sanct●fication by the Spirit while we become New creatures by him and so the Sonnes of God not onely by Adoption but by regeneration also For Christ when he Iustifieth vs he not onely remitteth our vnrighteousnesse and imputeth his obedience vnto vs but also taketh away our heart of Stone giueth vs his owne heart of Flesh vnto vs putteth off our Old man and cloatheth vs with his New one and strippeth vs of our inward corruption and maketh vs pertakers of his owne Nature and so indeed of the Sonnes of Men maketh vs the Sonnes of God and Brethren vnto him Wherefore wee are sayd to be Predestinated by Iesus Christ Ephes 1.4.5 Ioh. 8.6 That wee should be holy and without blame befo e him And hence is this saying of our Sauiour That which is borne of the Spirit is Spirit 6. From this roote springeth the sixth Branch of our Election which is The loue of Righteousnesse and hatred of Sinne For in Regeneration there is To●m●●rs a quo et termanus a● q●m An auersion from sinne and a conuersion to God the mortification of the old ●●●am and the viuification of the New the alteration of affections of Nature corrupted into the affections of Diuine nature by the Holy ghost sanctified which is noted in their Walke of which the Apostle speaketh Rom. 8 1. which is N●● a●ter the flesh but after the spirit And in the distaste their Stomackes take of carnalities They sa●●ur not the th●●● of the Flesh but of the spirit Now the first affectes of the Flesh are Loue of sinne which is the C●ncupiscence of the fl sh and so on the contrarie side The hatred of Righteousnesse and of the Law of ●o● which are not of the Father but of the World For that which properly is spoken of Christ 〈◊〉 5 8. Thou hast loued Righteousnesse and hated ●●quitie is not improperly vnderstood of all that are the members of Christ wherefore Dauid who beareth the person of all the Elect and expresseth their disposition 〈◊〉 3. saith of himselfe J haue ●oued thy Law Thy L●● 〈◊〉 within my heart J hate all these that are workers of iniquitie J will not sit among the Wicked Such affections S. Paul deliuereth vs. J delight in the Law of God concerning the Inner man that is Rom. 7.23 as I haue an inward and a better birth 7. Now these two Affections the first fruites of Regeneration beget the seuenth Effect A● endea●our to doe Good workes that is to forsake Sinne and to fulfill the Law For hee that hateth any thing from his heart hee shunneth and auoydeth it all that he may And so of the other side hee that inwardly loueth a thing hee pursueth it with the hottest contention that can be This distinctiō of theirs in these two opposite cōditions the Apostle thus speaketh of He that doth righteousnes is righteous 1. Ioh 3.7 as he is righteous Hee that committeth sinne is of the Devill For the Deuill sinneth from the beginning Now Christ came into the World to dissolue the workes of the Deuill in the Elect But in the Reprobate he suffereth them to remaine still as they are because he was neuer stated in them they were not giuen him of his Father to be purged regenerated saued Wherefore Christ being preordinated to performe all these workes and no good thing is done in vs which was not in Christ prepared for vs from all eternitie it is more then manifest that our sollicitude of good works is the effect of our Election This the Apostle sheweth plainely where he sayth E●li● 2 1● Wee are cre●ted in Christ Iesus vnto go●● 〈◊〉 which God hath ordained that wee should walke in them This duetie as more then necessarie is commended and commaunded vs by Saint P●ter 2. Pet. 1.10 in this precept hee prescribeth vs Giue diligence to make your Calling and Election sure that is by Good workes as many coppies haue it For to whom should we make it sure Not to God for it was sure to him before all worldes but to our selues and neighbours 8. Now because while we seeke the glorie of God and are carefull of Good works and we refuse to fashion our selues according to this world in the lustes and sinnes thereof the Flesh the World and the Deuill combine and hange togeather like the Skales

Regeneration the cause thereof 1. Thess 3.13 is through the whole man in Body Soule and Spirit Also Obedience is the fruite of Loue and Loue is from a pure Heart a good Conscience and Fayth vnfained Thus wee teach not that men must beleeue the forgiuenesse of their sinnes while they lie and liue in them for that were altogeather to teach falsehood for trueth Hee that beleeues the Pardon of his sinnes by true Fayth hath the spirit of God in him and a constant purpose not to sinne against God If hee doe it is against his minde it is not hee that doth it but the sinne that dwelleth in him and his case standeth thus He hath by his sinne giuen a blow to his Conscience weakned his Fayth bereaued himselfe of the Fauour of God as much as in him is made himselfe guiltie of sinne and worthy of damnation And God for his part accordingly turnes the wonted signes of his Fauour into signes of Anger and Displeasure and though it be pardoned in the purpose of God yet is it not actually pardoned till the partie repent Wherefore heere is Answere to this Demaunde How a man may be assured of his Adoption if he want the Testimonie from Heauen which is the Spirit of God For as Fire is knowne by two properties of the heate of the Flame Wee may know it to be Fire still by the verie heate though it affordeth no Flame So if a man hath not the Witnesse of Gods Spirit by the Testimoniall of our Spirit our sanctification wee haue certificate not obscure of our Electiō If it shall further grow into question How it is that after all our curious Inquisition we finde but few signes of Sanctification in our selues In this case they must haue recourse to the least measure of Grace which being but of the size of a Graine of Mustardseed and but of the strength of a weake Infant it is sufficient to engraffe them into Christ and therefore they must not doubt of their Election because they find their Fayth feeble and the effectes of the Holy ghost faint within them which I speake not to the end to lead men into securitie that they should content themselues with these small beginninges of Grace but onely to shew how any may assure themselues that they are at the least Ba●es in Christ adding this withall that they which haue no more but these small beginninges must be carefull to increase them Q●ta non progre●i est regredi Not to goe forward is to goe backward Lastly and what if the Christian soule as yet hath not found this litle measure of Grace and hath no meanes in the world of assuraunce Hee must not despaire but perswade himselfe in this that though hee wantes assuraunce now yet hee may haue the same hereafter No man may peremptorily conclude and set downe that himselfe or any other is a Reprobate For Gods wayes are not as mans wayes but h●e preferres such often times as seeme greatest strangers and aliantes vnto him vnto his Kingdome when he casteth out those whom the world esteemed Children of the Kingdome So sayth our Sauiour M●th 21.31 The ●●b●cans and Harlots goe before you And the Parable telleth vs how Ma●y an one is called at the eleuenth houre Math. 20.6 as it appeareth by the example of the remorsed Theefe vpon the Crosse But in the meane while be we perswaded to heare the Word of God and to receiue the Sacramentes For by our care in comming to the Lords Vineyard and conuersing about the Wine-presse we shall finde that comfortable Wine of Gods Grace as shall serue to make glad the heart of man When sicknesse and death assaulteth vs the very chosen of God must prepare themselues to temptations the Deuill then bestirring himselfe all he may and sitting our soules to the coursest branne as curiously as euer L●●an did ransacke Iacobs stuffe And few there be that can iudge of these terrors of temptations but such an one as can say Quarum pars magnafi●● Now when men lay thus in darknesse and in the region and shadow of death vnlesse God should from Heauen with a gracious aspect looke vpon them in the face of his Annoynted and streame downe vnto them in this life some lightsome beames of his loue in Christ by the operation of his holy Spirit it would be very hard with the best of them all Finally as euery one of the Elect in this life is made certaine of his Election ascertained thereof by the meanes aboue mentioned so a due time by God is determined for the same tearmed in holy Scriptures ● Cor 6.2 Luk. 19.42 The Acceptable time the day of Saluation The time of our Visitation Before which time of our blessed Vocation we neuer are perswaded or once thinke of our Saluation as wee see in the examples of Mathew wholly betaking himselfe to his Toll-house as in Paul before his conuersion when he was a Saul and vexed the Congregation and in many such Againe many after the time of their Calling are not by and by made certaine of their Election but to some sooner to some later is this Grace afforded A Christian soule often seeketh after this comfort in his Bedde by Prayers and findeth it not as the Spouse the Church did her Bridegroome in the 3. of the Canticles In my Be●de by night Cantic ● ● J sought him that my soule I●nea J sought him but I found him not Hee intreateth the counsaile and comfort of his friendes and the helpe of their holy prayers vers ● and yet found him not The complaint the Spouse maketh in the same place Hee resorteth to the Godly Preachers of the word and yet speedeth not vers 3. which was still the said Churches case Lastly when all helpe and hepes fayled her the Bridegrome came vers 4. Adiutor in opportunita●bus An helper in the needfull time of trouble he came on his owne accord as he hath so done to diuerse in the like case 1. Then Fayth taketh vp as it were a new life groweth into heart taketh hold on Christ 2. Then hath the Soule very nigh societie and coniunction with GOD. vers 5. 3. Then commeth ioy in the Holy ghost and peace of Conscience as a sweete sleepe commeth on a wearisome body vers 6. and watereth all the partes of the body with his refreshing deawe 4. Then is the Heart lifted vp to Heauen with holy thoughtes vers 8.9.10 and Prayers which mount vpward as Pillars of Smoake pleasant as perfumed with Myrrhe and Incense 5. Then is it rauished and out of it selfe in the muze and meditation of his glorious condition in the Heauenly kingdome 6. Then it endeauoreth to perswade others to consider of the Glorie of Christ and of his Kingdome vers 11. 7. After all these Chap. 4. vers 1. to the cha 15. Christ reuealeth to his Seruant the happinesse of his estate in this life and the other more plainely openly then euer he did before vers 16. and giueth him a sight of such Graces and Benefites as hee hath bestowed on him 8. The Christian presenteth his Prayers to Christ that hee would breath and blow vpon him with his Spirit that so hee might bring foorth such fruites as he hath of thankfulnesse to the Lord. Lastly Christ yeeldeth to all we pray for and giueth vs our heartes desire and doth not denie vs the request of our lippes Now for th●se and all other his Graces and Blessinges bestowed vpon vs to him with his blessed Sonne and Holy spirit three persons one eternall and euerliuing GOD be ascribed all Praise Power and Glorie now and euer Amen FINIS