A92854:329
The humbled sinner resolved what he should do to be saved. Or Faith in…
The humbled sinner resolved what he should do to be saved. Or Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ the only way of salvation for sensible sinners. Discovering the quality, object, acts, seat, subject, inseparable concomitants and degrees of justifying faith. The agreement and difference of a strong and weak faith; the difficulty of believing, the facility of mistake about it, and the misery of unbelief. The nature of living by faith, and the improvement of it to a full assurance. Wherein several cases are resolved, and objections answered. / By Obadiah Sedgwick, Bachelor in Divinity and late minister of the Gospel in Covent Garden.The humbled sinner resolved what he should do to be saved. Or Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ the only way of salvation for sensible sinners. Discovering the quality, object, acts, seat, subject, inseparable concomitants and degrees of justifying faith. The agreement and difference of a strong and weak faith; the difficulty of beleeving, the facility of mistake about it, and the misery of unbelief. The nature of living by faith, and the improvement of it to a full assurance. Wherein several cases are resolved, and objections answered. / By Obadiah Sedgwick, Batchelour in Divinity and late minister of the Gospel in Covent Garden.
London: printed by T.R. & E.M. for Adoniram Byfield, 1657
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
4. Instrumentally, or in respect of office; you know well how to distinguish 'twixt actions a man doth as a man, and actions which a man doth as an officer: If a man be condemned, and ready for execution, and one comes from the King with the message of pardon, the delivering of this message is an act of his employment and office, not of his absolute nature as a man only. Thus it is with faith, it sends out some actions, as an absolute grace, and it performs others as a grace in office, as an instrument designed and deputed; It justifies us in this latter respect; not that it is the matter or cause which clears all for us with God, but because it is the instrument, laying hold on him who doth this for us: As the hand is said to clothe the body, not that the hand is any clothing (for a man doth not wear his hand) but because it is the instrument to put on our clothing: or as the cup is said to quench our thirst, not that the metal of the cup can go down and satisfy that natural appetite, but because it holds that wine or liquor which doth quench; so doth faith justify a sinner, not as ⟨p. 54⟩the object, not as the cause, but as the instrument (that is) as the hand of the soul, laying hold on the Robes of Christs righteousness, putting on that garment of his, and as an instrument, receiving, and holding, and bringing to the soul that precious blood of Christ, which only can (immediately) satisfy God, and appease a thirsty conscience.
4. Instrumentally, or in respect of office; you know well how to distinguish 'twixt actions a man doth as a man, and actions which a man doth as an officer: If a man be condemned, and ready for execution, and one comes from the King with the message of pardon, the delivering of this message is an act of his employment and office, not of his absolute nature as a man only. Thus it is with faith, it sends out some actions, as an absolute grace, and it performes others as a grace in office, as an instrument designed and deputed; It justifies us in this latter respect; not that it is the matter or cause which cleares all for us with God, but because it is the instrument, laying hold on him who doth this for us: As the hand is said to cloath the body, not that the hand is any cloathing (for a man doth not weare his hand) but because it is the instrument to put on our cloathing: or as the cup is said to quench our thirst, not that the mettal of the cup can go down and satisfie that natural appetite, but because it holds that wine or liquor which doth quench; so doth faith justifie a sinner, not as