The Life eFaith. tongue without the heart. Theprayers which come from a common faith, and common good dcfires,are better than none, but have no promife ofJutlification. But the wicked mutt be exhorted both to this, and more, even to repent, defile and pray fincerely. Errour 46. It it finful, and againfl free grace, to fbink that any woks or allions of our own, are rewardable ; or tofay, that they are meritorious, though it benothing but rewardablenefs that is meant by it. Contr. The Papilla have fo much abufed.the word work, by many dangerous opinions about it, that it is now become more unmeet to be uteri by us than it was inancient timcs,when the Doctorsand Churches (evenRuffin himfelf)did'commonly u(eit But if nothing be meant by it, but rewardabhnefr, or the relationof a duty to the reward as freely promifed by God (as many Papitls themfelvea underftand it, and the ancient Fathcrs.gcncrally die) he that will charge a man with errour in dodrinc for the uk of an inconvenient word, is unchari- table and pervcrfe ; efpecially when it is other mess abufe, which hath done molt to make it inconvenient. The merit of the caufe is a common phrafe among all Lawyers, when there is commutative meriting intended. I have fully (hewed in my Confeßon, that the Scripturefrequently ufcth the word [wor- thy] which is the fame or full as much : And a fobjcd maybe faid tomerit protectionof his Prince; and a fcholar to merit praife ofhis Matter, and a child to deferve love and repo* from his Parents, andall this in no rcfpett tocommutative ju- fice, whereinthe Rewarder is fuppofed to be a gainer at all but only in governing diftributive Ju(lice, which gìvech every one that which (by gift or any way) is his due., And that every good man, and every good action, deferveth praife, that is, to be dimmed fuch as it is. And that there is alto a com- parative merit, and a not- meriting evil : As a Believer may':be Paid not to deftrve damnation by the Covenant of Grace, but only by (or according to) the Law of Nature or Works. But to pats from the word merit (which I had rather were quite difufed, becaufe the danger is greater than the benefit) the thingfignified thus by it, is pail all difpute, vin. that what- ever duty God bathpromit da leeward to, thatdutyor work ßy2 is 1-5 5
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