Selected quad for the lemma: sense_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
sense_n	good_a	scripture_n	word_n	3,127	5	4.2624	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A88635	A vindication of free-grace: in opposition to this Arminian position, (Naturall men may do such things as whereunto God hath by way of promise annexed grace and acceptation.) / First preached, after asserted at Stephens Coleman-steete [sic] London, by Mr. John Goodvvin. Also an appendix proving the souls enjoying Christ after death, afore the Resurrection, against some errours hereafter specified. Published for the justification of truth by S.L.	Lane, Samuel.	1645 (1645)	Wing L341; Thomason E275_3; ESTC R209881	66,752	86

notwithstanding their most rationall improvements Except the Father draw him not except he draws or surely ingages the Father by improvements but there will be necessity of further inlargements on this from what follows we see here that insteed of being ingaged by promise by naturall improvements we have the contrary he saith not because you have imployed Naturalls therefore according to my promise I will s●cond it with grace but contrarily notwithstanding your utmost improvements Yet No man be he ever so accurate in naturall improvements can come except the Father draw him which to do no improvements can draw God You next alleadged another Scripture Luke 13.24 Strive to enter in but as touching this I finde no absolute promise of Grace annexed from Gods being ingaged by naturall improvements therefore not as yet seeing any thing considerable therein whereof to take notice shall step over to what appeares to be of greater moment Wherein though I conceive it sufficient to have deposed what I conceive against the proofs whereon you ground your fifth assertion yet I shall with great presumption on your patience and candid construction give my grounds for the contrary namely to prove that Naturall men dead c. have not such a power of Reason Judgement c. as whereby if they will accordingly put it forth they may do such things as whereunto God hath by promise annexed Grace which I conceive might be clearly made out from sundry Scriptures whereof to Name 2. or 3. One is Iohn 5. verse 39. Search the Scriptures concerning which though the first word be usually rendered as the Imperative Mood Search ye as a Command given to search yet for my part as yet with Submission to the judicious I finde not how it may be read with good sence any other way then as the Indicative Mood ye do search which I ground not onely on my own Judgement though I finde this that the Originall Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Scrutamini may as properly be so rendered for as I remember 't is the Judgement of Doctor Homes as in his book Of new Heavens and new Earth I have seen though not since divers moneths by-gone and that it may most properly be thus rendred may as I conceive be most cleerly proved from the context the occasion of all Christs discourse from the 19. verse of that 5. chap. seemes chiefely to arise from what 's expressed in verse 18. where this is given as one reason why they sought to kill Christ because he had said God was his Father making himself equall with God c. Whereupon Christ all along forward in a most convincing manner proves the truth of that for which the Jews would needs have slain him to which purpose telling them God sent not Christ onely to bear witnesse of himselfe but sent his fore-runner John to bear witnesse which John ye sent to your selves verse 33. who accordingly bave witnesse of me and he was once a man in great credit with you therefore why might not his Testimony carry it Yea after he had named other grounds of testimony from his Works done and the Fathers own Testimony that sent him he adds yet a further ground of confirmation in this 39. verse even from their own practise as before in sending to know Johns judgement so here from their own diligent inquiry into the Scriptures ye do search even your selves do the scriptures namely the writings of the Prophets which alone were then written as of Moses particularly insisted on Again that they did search them is clear from what follows Moses shall accuse you verse 45. whose Accusation shall be a sufficient witnesse against them without Christs Why Because th●y perused his writings and so were rendred inexcuseable yea further cleer from the concluding clause of that 45. verse In whom viz. Moses ye trust or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in whom ye hope now had they not searched diligently and conformed to his writings they would not have built such hope thereon knowledge must precede confidence Which acception supposed to be most warrantable seemes considerable towards the proof of what 's affirmed Ye search which word imports exact and accurate scrutiny and no marvail for therefore ye search 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because in them ye think to have eternall life upon this very ground they searched and therefore with all their utmost care and diligence as conceiving to finde life in them which Paul himself that strict Pharisee searched so into as that he thought he had found life in them but yet was dead whiles so alive Rom. 7 8 9. and they are they that testifie of me those Scriptures which ye think to have life by from the letter of them testifie of me what it must have reference as I conceive to what they sought for namely eternall life they testifie then that what life ye think to have in them must be had in me they send you from themselves to the Messia pointed at by them as John sent such as he baptized with water to Christ to be baptized with the Holy Ghost Notwithstanding your searching ye will not come to me that ye might have life which proves that mens naturall improvements do not ingage God to give them saving faith without which through utmost improvements they could only look on the Scripture while pointing to a Messia but as a covenant of works and learned by all but to be selfe Justiciaries which sanctuary of justification by works we most obviously finde was the strongest one which the profoundest wisdome of the Jewes could erect Rom. 10.8 Object But it may be objected Christ in Verse 40. charges them with this Ye will not come to have life or in faith doth it not hence seem that they might have power to believe or to ingage God to to give faith which power they did not put forth as they might and that 's the reason why ye believe not Answ Whereto for answer for the former supposition that they might have power to believe that you absolutely conclude against For the latter which you avouch that they might so ingage themselves in improvements as to ingage God to give faith this must as yet be denied because here they did improve to their utmost their naturals in searching even as for life and yet God added not faith which is most undeniably proved in Chap. 6. from Verse 28 to 45. Wherein the whole discourse most inevitably demonstrates that they did as it were put all their naturall powers of reason judgement c. on the wrack as is before shewed by propounding questions rationall discussing them praying for c. But all this did not make Christ confesse I see you have done your utmost therefore I le perform mine engagements to give saving faith no he tearms their strongest reasonings but murmurings adding no promise thereunto and therefore not ingaged thereby so to do and consequently their not improving naturals is not the reason of Gods not giving faith which

them without Gods assistance to believe Wherefore you added they have a power but not a disposition and that we must distinguish between having a power and an inclination to which I at present say one word he that hath not a will hath not a power and so wants an executive power by which I conceive you mean a power whereby to execute which you affirme a naturall man hath That such want a power I prove from John 6. verse 44. and 65. where 't is exprest that a meer naturall man without the Fathers drawing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 non potest hath not power to do what to come to life or in faith so that 't is clear as I conceive that such want a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a power whereby to execute for he that hath not power to will hath not power to do therefore God being said to do all in us is said to work in us both to will and to do of his good pleasure 2 Phil. 13. as if the willing an act were the all in all requisite to produce an act which want of power in man you contradicted in affirming All that was wanting in the Jewes or the reason of their not believing is placed in their will ye will not come he saith not ye have no power ye cannot come which cannot come is expresly affirmed twice in John 6.44 65. But I must most abruptly desist further enlargement as yet praying the LORD to prosper it for the end intended even the propagating of truth Whereto yet to adde one word if in any particular here mentioned any assertion of yours may suffer blame not me but your self of whom I may justly say if any such cause may be found for it Tu te ipsum tuis ipsis armis visisti for that God hath communicated much of my strength by the way of your Ministery A Sermon in Answer to the foregoing Letter preached by Mr. J. G. April 28. 1644. taken after him exactly in Characters by M. THO. RUDYARD a Member of his Church and by him read over to SAMUEL LANE to Copy out whose Copy exactly followes WE desire to look back a litttle to one passage that was delivered the last day for the satisfaction of some who it seems did not clearly understand it the tenour of the motive whereby we perswaded and prest on men not truly converted to God to seek for the grace of God was this That if they would give out themselves in good earnest in the search and seek for it with all their hearts they should finde it having a while insisted on the amplification and inforcement of this motive and cleared the difficulty how and in what sense God may be said to love or be gracious to men before believing and in what not we came to ponder the motive wherein we put this to consideration of how great concernment 't was to them to have fellowship with the Saints of God in the great businesse of salvation giving them assurance that whatsoever their sinnes had been and how great soever their present guilt may be yet if they were but truly willing to come under the wing of Christ not a haire of their heads should fall to the ground In prosecution whereof we propounded and answered this Objection Object You put us in minde and hope of finding grace with God if we will make our endeavours to obtaine it but we have little encouragement for we are dead in sins c. Answ Which we answered by a gradation of five steps The fifth was That though men be dead in sins in such a sense as was formerly explained yet men have a light of reason judgement c. by means whereof they are able to consider of tearms and means proposed c. though happily not able fully to comprehend them as to debate whether faith in Christ or the works of the Law or their own righteousness be likely to carry it in Gods sight wherein they may not be able to come to any certain issue to comprehend the difference between each and to resolve in themselves this is the means that will do it and that not or suppose they finde no satisfaction in way of reason in either of those means yet are able to work it on in a way of reason whether there be any other way besides more likely Now though 't is not to be supposed that they have power to come to such firme bottome whereon to build without doubtings yet they are able and have a scale and ballance of reason and judgement whereby to weigh one reason against another to see which is most hopefull without all question men may go thus far and here re-inforcing the argument we declared to such that if they would be willing to do unfeinedly and impartially what God hath appointed them in a way of nature to do God hath promised successe and acceptation in this way and this was that passage by name which it seems some could not so well understand or comprehend fearing lest it should comply with the Arminian tenent in point of Free-will or that I should magnifie naturall abilities above the line of excellency belonging to it If they will but please to consider for the clearing of the whole businesse but two arguments you will clearly see that there is an absolute necessity for maintaining such an assertion for a truth as this is namely that if naturall men will put forth themselves to the utmost to what they are able to doe to comply with God in the Gospell they shall finde an answerable successe and that there is an absolute necessity to maintaine it for a truth for otherwise we shall expose the truth of God the covenant of grace the do●t●i●e of free-grace which we professe to maintaine we shall expose both the one and the other to an inexpiable and unanswerable reproach dishonour and such indeed as cannot be redeemed by any reason or distinction or project one or other that men are able to devise for the relief of it for that on this 't will follow that the assertion we speak of that men putting forth themselves according to what God hath in●bled them to do in a way of nature that God will meet them with grace and acceptation if the former be clearly proved then this will follow upon it that this hath no consistence with the opinion of Free-will but doth indeed intrench on the best foundation that that opinion stands upon We know 't was an order Christ gave for men to deal between Caesar and God Give to Caesar the things that are Caesars and to God c. And indeed no man can give to God the things that are Gods except he give to Caesar the things that are Caesars and that because this is one of Gods things even our subjection to the lawfull governour set over us by God in things lawfull and mans foot may soonest slide here even on a pretence of giving all to God liberally to