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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
world_n	church_n	head_n	universal_a	3,572	5	9.0629	5	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A33961	Defensative armour, against four of Sathan's most fiery darts viz. temptations to atheistical and blasphemous impressions and thoughts, self-murther, despair, and presumption : wherein is discoursed the nature of these temptations, the several tempters to these sins, the arguments ordinarily used by the tempters in the inforcing of them, and some proper advice is offered to those who are exercised with them / by J.C. D.D. ...	Collinges, John, 1623-1690.	1680 (1680)	Wing C5312; ESTC R12985	145,095	356

of Sins You are not straitned in me where then are Sinners straitned Oh they are straitned in their own Bowels They cannot find in their Hearts to consider their ways to humble their Soul for their sins to leave them and to turn unto God Thus are they straitned in their own Bowels and they will not come to Christ that they might have Life 2. Secondly To this Suggestion doubtless we are to oppose what the Scripture speaketh of the multitude and abundance of Divine Mercies Psal 134. 18. If I should count them saith Holy David they are more in number than the Sand. So Isaiah 55. v. 6 7. Let him return unto the Lord and he will have mercy upon him unto his God for he will abundantly pardon Thus you often read in Scripture of a multitude of Mercies tender Mercies in God Psal 5. 7. I will come into thy House in the multitude of thy Mercies So Psal 51. 1. Have Mercy upon me O God according to thy loving kindness according to the multitude of thy tender Mercies blot out my Transgressions So Psal 69. 13. Mercy in God is but one thing it is the Goodness of God looking upon one in Misery and helping and relieving him what do we read of a multitude of Mercies certainly it either signifies Gods multiplied Acts of Goodness which are several Branches springing out of the same Root of Goodness and Mercy or else the term is used to signifie unto us that there is a Goodness in God proportionated to the multitudes of Sin and Misery that are in us To what end do we read of multitudes of Mercies in God if it were not to relieve us groaning under multitudes of Sins 3. Again consider It is the same thing with God to pardon multitudes of Sins as few yea he never pardoneth the Sins of any one Soul but he pardons a multitude God must vail his Justice and deny himself in his Vindicative Justice to pardon one Sin There is no one Sin but hath a kind of infiniteness in it or rather contracts an infinite Guilt for every Sin which we commit is against an infinite God against infinite Justice and Goodness and nothing but infinite Goodness can remit it and pass it by And an infinite Remission as easily extendeth to a multitude of Sins as to a few so that as that good Prince said unto God in the recognition of his Power It is easie with thee to save by many as by few So we may say in the case before us It is as easie with God to save from many from the guilt of many many thousands of Sins as from the guilt of a few especially which I should have put in considering there is also an infiniteness in the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Redemption Price that is paid if indeed that had been scant something might have been colourably objected but that is commensurate to the Goodness that is in God The Person that died for our Sins was God-man an infinite Person his Blood was of infinite Vertue as to Satisfaction Indeed the Papists strain a great deal too far to say That the least Drop of Christs Blood was sufficient to ransome a World That is an idle Monkish Hyberbole for there must be a powring out of his Life so much of his Blood shed as should have determined his Life But that there is a Nuda Sufficientia we are not speaking now of the Sufficientia Ordinata how far Christ ordained it to be sufficient but that I say there was a bare and naked Sufficiency in the Death of Christ for more than it shall ever be applied to This must be granted by all who will acknowledge an infiniteness in Christs Person Nor yet shall the Papists from hence augment their Churches Treasury to the value of a Farthing Christ never left the Redundancy of the Vertue of his Death to humane Disposal the Vertue of his Blood as to all those who shall by it have any Benefit was ordered and disposed of from before the Foundation of the World even from the time that the L●mb was first slain in Gods Eternal Counsels Let them look to answer the Papists in this Point who maintain Universal Redemption in the latitude of it But I add farther under this Head That God never pardoneth Sin to any Soul but he pardoneth a multitude It is true there is not a parity in Men and Womens Sins either as to the quality or quantity but I say God never pardons any but multitudes of Sins The Righteous falleth seven times in a day Sin is in every Soul and it may say Our Name is L●gion for we are many If multitudes of Sins could not be pardoned no Sinner could be pardoned 2. Temptation But then saith the Tempter or the tempted Soul if you will Ah but my Sins have received very high and great Aggravations I have sinned against Light against Love I knew I ought not to do what I did I was warned by Ministers checkt by my own Conscience otherwise moved by the Spirit of God I had Mercies above thousands of others I sinned against all c. To which I answer 1. This is indeed a very sad circumstance a load of this nature doth often lie very heavy upon the Conscience and a guilt of this nature requireth a further and deeper Humiliation Confession Contrition but the Question is Whether such Sins be capable of a Pardon yea or no If they be capable of Forgiveness from a gracious God all this is no ground for thee to Despair and cast away Hope refusing to be comforted 2. If they be not capable of Pardon it must be so determined in Scripture Now the Revelation of God in his Holy Word hath no where determined that no Person that hath sinned against his Light shall be forgiven and we ought not to conclude to our own Prejudice and Discouragement as to an Act of God what he hath no where in his Word revealed 3. Thirdly There is no Sinner pardoned but hath sinned against his Light and against Love so that the Question seemeth not to be about the Thing but about the Degree not whether one who hath sinned against Light and Love can be Pardoned but whether one who hath sinned against so much Light and so much Love can be forgiven and it will be very hard for thee to as●ign Sinnings against such Degrees of Light and Love as none ever sinned against and were saved There are in Scripture great instances of Pardoned Sinners who yet sinned against great Degrees of Light and Love too Take but the instances of David and Peter David was a Man of much Light he was you know one of the Pen-men of Holy Writ he was a Man much beloved of God he is stiled The Man according to Gods own Heart God mindeth him of how much he had done for him taking him from the Sheep-folds and making him King over Israel and Judah giving his Masters Crowns Houses and Wives yea and

there are many Trees of forbidden Fruit which we may not eat the Fruit of least we die God hath not said to any Thou shalt not Marry But he hath said Thou shalt not commit Adultery He hath not said Thou shalt not enjoy Silver or Gold Houses or Lands But he hath said Thou shalt not Covet thy Neighbours House nor Lands He hath said Thou shalt not Steal He hath not said Thou shalt not spend any day but in the solemn Worship of God But he hath said Remember to keep holy the Sabbath day Now our Lusts encline us to forbidden things Nitimur in vetitum and these desires of unlawful things or lawful things in an immoderate undue and unlawful manner are what we call Lusts yet Men living under the Revelations of Divine Truth and of the Divine Will and hearing of an immortal State of Souls and of an Eternity which waiteth for all Men after this Life and that either in Bliss or Misery we knowing that we must all die and after come to Judgement and receive an Eternal Reward or an Eternal Punishment cannot but desire an Eternal Happiness and our business I mean the business of a Natural Man resolved upon the Satisfaction of his Lust and yet desirous to shew himself one that believeth the Scriptures and to cherish in himself an hope of an Eternal Happiness is to close with such Notions and false Representations of the Divine Will as may serve to cherish his hopes for a Living with God for ever he in the mean time enjoying those Lusts and sensual Satisfactions to which he is most biassed and inclined Hence it is that he Presumeth that is he buildeth up unto himself Hopes and Confidences of Gods Favour to him as well as others and that he shall when he dies goe to Heaven whatever Ministers say who would put a Yoke upon Peoples Necks that no Flesh is able to bear Now it may be worth an enquiry what false Notion those are upon which Men build up these Presumptions and which the Devil the World or our own Lusts suggest and build upon as upon a sandy Foundation I shall name some and onely in this place shew you that if these Notions were true they might give a foundation for such Confidences at least some of them others not I shall reserve my demonstration of the falshood of them until I come to the Applicatory part of my Discourse 1. That God will not Eternally Condemn any Man or Woman that he hath made especially not any within the bosome of the Church This hath not been the avowed Opinion of many who have published their Sentiments to the World We Read of Huberus and Paccius and some two or three more who have adventured to publish such Sentiments to the World but by the lives of too many it is proclaimed that there are too many such Atheists in the World for they wallow in such prodigious Filthiness as it is impossible but that they must conclude that if there be an Hell and it be not to stand empty they are like to goe to it for none can live more prodigiously lewd and profane lives than they do Now indeed if this Notion were true if Men could but perswade themselves that they are Gods Creatures it were enough for them to be confident of Gods Favour and their going at last to Heaven 2. A Second Notion which some have taken up is That Christ hath dyed for all and all those for whom he dyed shall be Saved The latter part of this is held by no learned Man that I know though if I could admit the former I should not be very difficult as to the latter There are as I have formerly told you three Opinions concerning Redemption as to the Objects of it Some saying he died equally for all as much for Judas as Peter Thus say the Arminians others that he died for all but not equally He purchased a certainty of Salvation for some a possibility for all Thus the Methedists or those that are for the middle way Others say he died for no more than the Elect. I intend not to meddle with this great Question onely I say no judicious and learned Man that hath held either of the two first Opinions hath said or will say That all those for whom Christ died shall be Saved All agree in the Negative of that but I fear abundance of less judicious People are of that Mind and here build up their Presumptuous Hopes 3. A Third Notion is That Sin is washed away in Baptism There are some learned and great Men indeed who have thought that the Guilt of Adams Sin yea all Original Sin is washed away in Baptism and Men Justified in it but they add If by Actual Sins they put not a barr so as all the Relief that Opinion affords if it be true as to Persons dying in their Infancy as to whom they are as gentle as Augustine was judged an hard Father but I shall not enlarge on this for there can be no other Pretence for this as to grown Persons than their Admission into the Catholick Church by that Ordinance and so it in part falleth in with the first Notion I named 4. A Fourth Notion is That Men and Women have their lives in their own hands a Power in themselves to believe and do whatsoever God hath required of them in order to their Salvation so as they shall not need look after their Salvation till they come within sight of the Grave Upon this they build up Presumptuous Hopes all their Life hoping to have time before their Death to bethink themselves and to turn unto God 5. Under a fifth Head may come Mens false Notions of Faith Repentance and Holiness They are told by Papists that Faith is nothing else but an Agreement to the proposition of the Word and that they think they do That Repentance is nothing else but some sorrow for Sin and a turning from some flagitious Courses unto God That Holiness is nothing but a performance of some good Works Commanded in Gods Word or a Resolution to do them if they have time so as if they do upon their Death-bed profess they die in the Faith and declare they are sorry for their mispent Life and their Resolution if God spare their lives to live a better Life This is enough to carry them to Heaven 6. A Sixth is this That if they do but receive the Sacrament and receive Absolution from a Minister before they Die This is enough to secure their Eternal Salvation For whose Sins they Remitt are Remitted 7. A Seventh is and that is perfectly Popish That if they happen to die under the Guilt of Sin if it be not one of the seven Mortal Sins and that without Repentance it is but lying some years in Purgatory and they shall come out and go to Heaven nor would those Teachers of Presumption put that necessity upon them if it were not to get money for Masses to be said

was made perfect through Sufferings And in the Greek there is no more than 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for every the Substantive is either 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and then the sense is he tasted of every Death or which it may be is more probable it must be supplied from the next verse for every Son who was to be brought unto Glory But not to enter into that Discourse onely to caution you from laying too great stress upon Particles in Scripture 2. Consider what I before hinted That none of those who hold the utmost Extension of the Death of Christ as to the Objects ever said That all those for whom Christ died should be saved Those indeed who believe Christ died only for the Elect assert this but those who hold Christ died equally for all no more for Judas than for Peter and those that say Christ by his Death purchased a certainty of Salvation for some and a possibility of Salvation for all yet neither of them will say That all shall be saved for whom Christ died which hath made me often admire at Mens heats for these Opinions which if they could prove to be true have no more Significancy Indeed they seem to be calculated for nothing but the Assertion of a Power in the will of Man to chuse and do what God requireth in order to Salvation and so to be his own Saviour Now if this be all that any understanding Man pretends to in his asserting that Christ died for all how is it possible that any particular Soul can from his Belief of it conclude he shall be saved 3. Besides this Notion is pressed with the same absurdities as that which I first mentioned for he that believeth That Christ died for all and every Man and therefore for him must needs hold Universal Salvation though not upon the account of Creation yet upon the account of Christs Redemption and this is not onely to hold what God no where hath revealed in his Word but that which is directly contrary to the Revelation of the Word and that which is contrary to a multitude of Promises and Threatnings and will make them to be meerly superfluous and insignificant The conclusion is That thou hast no ground from any such Notion be it true or false to conclude any such thing as that thou art actually reconciled to God and shall be saved nor did ever any judicious Person so conclude but I fear thousands of ignorant ordinary Persons build their Hopes here and my self have by some been told so 3. A third Notion upon which some may be tempted to presume is The Vertue and Efficacy of Baptism The Jews you know rested much upon their Circumcision and I fear too many amongst Christians rest as much upon their Baptism and their being in it Regenerated and Born again To arm you against this Temptation I shall as to the other offer you some few things to be considered 1. None can be confident upon this account but they must consider Baptism either as it is the Door into the Church From thence it must follow That all those that are Members of the Church of God shall be saved Or Secondly As an Ordinance of God with which God doth constantly concur in washing away the guilt of Sin by Vertue of the Blood of Christ I shall shortly shew you that which of these two ways soever Men look upon their Baptism they can make no such conclusion from it 1. There is nothing in Scripture to justifie such a Conceit That all those who are by Baptism admitted into the Catholick visible Church shall be saved for I pray observe in this Notion of Baptism 1. It doth no more than Circumcision did under the Old Testament to which it succeeded Circumcision was the Door into the Church of the Jews as Baptism is the Door into the Gospel Church Now there is nothing clearer in all the Scripture than that all those that were Circumcised were not saved Judas was Circumcised yet a Devil a Son of Perdition The Scribes and Pharises Lawyers and Hypocrites against whom our Saviour in the Gospel denounced so many Woes they were all Circumcised The Apostle expresly tells us that Circumcision availeth nothing nor yet Uncircumcision but a New Creature That Circumcision verily profiteth Persons if they keep the Law but if they were Breakers of the Law their Circumcision is made Uncircumcision Rom. 2. 25. That he is not a Jew which is one outwardly neither is that Circumcision which is outward in the Flesh but he is a Jew which is one inwardly and Circumcision is that of the Heart and the Spirit and not in the Letter whose Praise is of God not of Men v. 28. 29. What is more plain than that of our Saviour Publicans and Harlots shall enter into the Kingdom of God and the Children of the Kingdom shall be cast out Luke 13. 26 27 28. v. 25. he is speaking to the Jews who were all circumcised all Members of the onely Church God at that day had in the World When once the Master of the House is risen up and hath shut the Door and you begin to stand without and to knock at the Door saying Lord Lord open unto us and he shall answer unto them I know you not whence you are● Then shall you begin to say We have Eaten and Drank in thy Name and thou hast taught in our Streets I hope all these were Sons of the Church and no ordinary Members of it but v. 27. He shall say I know you not whence you are depart from me all ye workers of Iniquity there shall be weeping and gnashing of Teeth when you shall see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the Prophets in the Kingdom of God and you your selves thrust out And they shall come from the East and the West and the North and the South and shall sit down in the Kingdom of God And behold there are last which shall be first and first which shall be last So as this alone is no ground of Hope or Confidence to any Soul 2. This appeareth further from hence That many Persons be Baptized and Members of Churches in whom Faith and Repentance which the Word of God every where makes necessary to Salvation are most certainly wanting Many Persons are Members of the Church by Baptism who yet are Drunkards Whoremongers Lyars Unbelievers such as the Scripture hath expresly said shall have their Portion in the Lake which burneth with Fire and Brimstone Baptism therefore in this Notion affordeth not the least ground of Confidence to any thinking and considerate Soul 2. Suppose we take Baptism in the Second Notion as it is an Ordinance of God instituted for something It is true the effect of Baptism what it is and how far it extendeth hath been a great Question amongst Divines Some ascribing to it the Justification of the Soul and the Remission of Sins to all but then they restrain it to Original Sin and so it onely as