Baxter - BT763 B397 1658

the cxpe&ation of death as molt men, and All! am : and yet I am fo far from being afraid of this.that I fhould live and dye in horror and detperatron , if I could not look upon the conditi- onsof the Covenant of Grace fulfilled by my Pelf through goes workings. If by our Graces you mean Habits, I think it more improper t o call them the fulfilling the conditions of the Cove- nant. For what you fay of the Papitls, you knowhow funda- mentally aitneft they differ fromme in this, confounding the Covenants Righteoufnefs &c. If it were not to one that knows it better then my Pelf, I would thew wherein. For yourqueiiion, How come the imperfeetions in our conditions to be pardoned ? You know I have fully anfwered it, both in the Aphorifms, andAppendix. And I would rather you had givenme one difcoveryof the infufficiencyof that anfwer, then asked the queftion again. Briefly thus. Guilt is an obligation to punifhment ( as it is here to be underfood) Pardon is a freeing from that Obligation, or Guilt and Psnifhmenr All Punifhment is due by fome Law. According to the Law or Covenant of Works the imperfeáion of our Faith, Love, Obe- dience , &c. deferve punifhment , and Chtiii bath fatisfied that Law, and procured forgivenefs of there imperfelions, and fo acquit us fromGuilt and punifhment. The newLaw, or Covenant ofGrace doth not threaten death to any but final Unbelievers, and fo no: to the imperfeáionof our Faith, Love, Obedience , where they are íincere. And where the Law threatneth not Punifhment, there is no obligation to Punifh- ment ( or Guilt) on the party from that Law, and fono work for Pardon. Imperfe& believers perform the conditions of the newCovenant truly: and it condemneth none for ituper- fe&ion of degree,where there isfincerity : No man is ever par- doned, whom the new Law condemneth, that is, final Unbe- lievers, or Rejeeters of Chrift. So that Chrift removed), or forgiveth that obligation to punifhment, which by the Lawof Works doth fall on us for our imperfe&ions. And for the Law of Gracewhere it obligeth not to punifhment, that obligation which is not, cannot be taken off : nor that man pardoned, that was never guilty. Your Ouefiion occafionethme tobe unmannerly in opening theft eafie things to you, that ï doubt not

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