Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	faith_n	grace_n	word_n	9,264	5	4.2777	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A47391	The ax laid to the root, or, One blow more at the foundation of infant baptism, and church-membership. Part I containing an exposition of that metaphorical text of Holy Scripture, Mat. 3. 10. : being the substance of two sermons lately preached, with some additions, wherein is shewed that God made a two-fold covenant with Abraham, and that circumcision appertained not to the covenant of grace, but to the legal and external covenant God made with Abraham's natural seed, as such : together with an answer to Mr. John Flavel's last grand arguments in his Vindiciarum Vindex, in his last reply to Mr. Philip Cary, also to Mr. Rothwell's Pædo-baptisms vindicatur, as to what seems most material / by Benjamin Keach ...	Keach, Benjamin, 1640-1704.; Rothwell, Edward, d. 1731. Paedobaptismus vindicatus.	1693 (1693)	Wing K47; ESTC R39052	37,123	40

Old Covenant and the Curse thereof compare this with Gal. 5. 3. For I testifie to every man among you that is circumcised that he is a debtor to do the whole law Not as a late Writer says in his Opinion or in his intention that was Circumcised that he was such a Debtor for it may be justly doubted Whether they so thought or not nay by the Apostle's Words it seems otherwise i. e. They did not think any such thing tho' they might seek to be justified by the Law and Circumcision yet not that they thought themselves obliged to keep the whole Law perfectly but they who were Circumcised were verily obliged by Circumcision to do the whole Law when Circumcision was in Force Whatsoever Mr. John Flavel hath said in his late Book to the contrary notwithstanding in Answer to Mr. Cary And indeed the Annotators agree with us herein thus I find they express themselves Object But did not the Fathers then by being Circumcised acknowledge themselves Debtors to the Law Answ. Yes they did acknowledge themselves bound to the observation of the Law and to endure upon the breaking of it the Curse of it but they were discharged from this Obligation by believing in the Lord Jesus Christ who was made a Curse for them Arg. 10. The Covenant of Circumcision could not belong to the Gospel Covenant because 't is called in express terms a Yoke of Bondage Act. 15. 10. Gal. 5. 1 2. Now therefore why tempt ye God to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear I wonder any should call Circumcision a Privilege the Yoke was Circumcision which those false Teachers would have put on Men who were Believers among the Gentiles see vers 1. If the Jews had any Profit Advantage or Privilege by it it was chiefly because unto them were committed the Oracles of God or Ten Commandments not chiefly because unto them was given the Covenant of Grace for had it been a Gospel Covenant or a Rite thereof as our mistaken Opposers affirm he would have said so see his Words What advantage then hath the Jew and what profit is there in Circumcision Rom. 3. 1. Much every way but chiefly because unto them were committed the oracles of God ver 2. It did not seal to them the Covenant of Grace nor assure them of the Blessings thereof for so a Seal doth all the Blessings and Privileges of that Covenant to which it is prefix'd but the direct contrary i. e. it assur'd them That they should have the Law given to them the Oracles of God i. e. The Sinai Covenant which Law shewed them what a kind of Righteousness it was God did require of all Men that would be justified in God's sight it was not given to them to give Life or Righteousness but to shew the exceeding sinfulness of Sin and to regulate their Lives to put a curb upon their Lusts so hateful to God as also to discover unto them that nothing short of a perfect and compleat Righteousness could justifie the Creature in the sight of God and so the Law through the weakness of the Flesh lay'd all Men under Death and Condemnation exacting hard Service but gave no Strength to perform its Demands it killed but could not give Life And therefore as it was a Covenant of Works do this and live or the man that doth these things shall live in them which Christ abolished it by the Blood of his Cross. And since it appears by what the Apostle says That Circumcision obliged while it was in Force to do all the whole Law which he that did not so do was Cursed by it 't is evident that instead of its being a Covenant of Grace or the Seal thereof it rather sealed the Curses of the Law upon them for their Disobedience and therefore such a yoke of Bondage which they nor their Fathers were able to bear Circumcision it appears then was an Earnest to Abraham's natural Seed of the Sinai Covenant which Law was 't is evident comprehended as a Covenant of Works in Circumcision and so Circumcision was a Part or Branch of it God then and at that time taking his natural Seed into an external Covenant Relation with himself was thereby in his Wisdom obliged to give the said Law in Tables of Stone to them for the Reasons Use and End befo●e mentioned and as 't is by our Apostle frequently in his Epistles hinted the Apostle as a Learned Writer observes doth not here begin a Discourse nor to the number of Privileges and Advantages for he names but one in all but to the quality of this Privilege viz. That it was not an Evangelical or Gospel Privilege but only a Legal or Old Covenant Rite and Privilege this is the Chief of all the Advantages the Jews had by Circumcision i. e. there having thereby an assurance that the Law of God on Mount Sinai should be given to them So much as to the Proof and Demonstration That Circumcision was no Gospel-Precept or Covenant Obj. But perhaps some may Object If Infants as such were not included in the Covenant of Grace God made with Abraham how can dying Infants be saved 1. Answ. I Answer Must Infants of Believers be comprehended in that Covenant God made with Abraham or else Cannot any dying Infants be saved How then were any dying Infants saved before Abraham's Days or before that Covenant was made with him 2. I never said no Infants were included in the Covenant of Grace God made with Abraham but not as such No doubt all Elect Persons both Infants and the Adult were included in the Covenant of Grace and had or shall have the Blessings of Christ's Blood and Merits but the Covenant of Grace may be considered Two manner of ways or under a Two-fold Consideration 1st The inward invisible Blessings Grace and Privileges of it 2d The visible and outward Administration or Privileges thereof 1. Now who they be that are comprehended or included in the inward and invisible Blessings Grace and Privileges of it are only known to God not to us But the Gospel or Covenant of Grace as to the outward Administration and Privileges thereof only belong to such who know the Lord or profess Faith in Jesus Christ and therefore all that have a Right to Baptism and Gospel Church Membership must first be made Disciples by being taught by the Word and Spirit of God and so truly believe in the Lord Jesus Christ according to the great Commission of our Saviour Mat. 28. 19 20. and the Practice of Christ himself Joh. 4. 1 2. and of his Apostles Act. 2. 37. Act. 8. 14 c. Act. 10. and Act. 16 c. God hath many ways as Dr. Taylor observes to save dying Infants which we know not he can apply the benefit and merits of Christ's Blood to them in ways we are wholly Ignorant of and ought not to trouble our Selves with it Secret Things belong to God