218 The Life of Faith. no trueFaith: And that which hath not the true End, is not the true all or grace in Tuition nor can that be any fpecial graceatall, which hath not God for his Vltimate End: On bothwhich accounts, it can be no true Faith : The intentio finis, being before the choice or ufe of means, though the sife- c.ution be after. And yet on the other fide, if God be loved as our End, be,. fore we believe in Chriff as the means, then we are fantJified before we believe. And then faith in Cbrit is not theMeans of our firft fecial Love to God: And the confequents on both , parts are intollcrable ; and how are they to be avoided ? Confider here r. You mull difiinguith betwixt the affent_ ing or knowing ad of faith, and the contenting or chufing act of it in the will. 2. And between Chrift as he is a Means of Gods chilling and ufing, and as he is a means of our chufing and ufing. And fo I anfwer the cafe in thcfc Isópofi- tions. r. The knowledge of a Deity is fuppofed before the know- ledge of Chrift as a Mediator : For no man can believe that he is a Teacher Pent ofGod, nerr a Mediator between us and God, nor a Sacrifice, to appeafe Gods wrath, who doth not believe iìrfi that there is a God. 2. In this belief or knowledge of God, is contained the knowledge of his Effential Power, Wifdom and Good/n.14 and that he is our Creator and Governour, and that we have broken his Laws, and that we are obnoxious to his Juilice, and deferve punithment for our fins. All this is tobe known before we believe in Chriti as the Mcdiatour. 3. Yet where Chritlianity is the Religion ofthe Country,it is Chrift bimfelf by his Word and Minifters, who'tcachethus there things concerning God ; But it is not Chrift as a Means (fen or ufedby us, to bringue to the Love ofGod ; (for no man can chufe or ufe a Means for an End not yet known or in- tended :) but it is Chriff asa Meanschofen and ufed by God, to bring home tanners to himfelf: (even as his, dying for us on the Crois was.) q,. The foul that kuoweth all this concerning God, cannot yet love him ravingly, both becaufe he wanteth the Spirit to orca it and becaufe a holyfis-bating God, engaged in Juftice te,
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