Baxter - Houston-Packer Collection BS2096.A1 1701 .P3

Annotations on Chap. 8. of the Caufes of Salvation. 3. And fo it's doubted, what the Word (affifre] doth mean s But the t.:ing is agreed on. q. And the greateft doubt is, whether every oneofthefe Caufes will infer the rat,or only the connexionofall the foregoing will infer that which followeth. z. There is fmall reafon to doubt, but that by [Calling] is meant [EffeáualCalling) : Elfe it would neither prove Predeftination, nor infer Juftification. a. SanUifieation is a Word which fignifieth many Ads. As it fignifieth the Gift ofour fish FaithandRepentance, and ouf Covenant-devotednefs toGod in Baptifm, it is the fame with effectu- al Vocation, Regeneration, and Converfion. But as it fignifieth the after-gift of the In-dwelling Spirit, to habituate the Soul with fixed Holinefsand Love, and the Pradice ofthere, it followeth Vocation, at leaftin order ofNature. 3. fuflification fometime fignifieth Making us tighteous; fometime, accounting us righteous ; fometime, by Apology, maintaining us to be righteous ; fometime, by Judicial Sentence, pro. pouncing us righteous ; fometime, executively, Ming us as righteous ; ulually, many of thefe to- gether, all the reft being implied. It is certain, that God maker's Men righteous, before heae- count or judge them righteous. Now to make a Man righteous (and juftihable inJudgment) all thefe concur, t. The Merit ofChrift's Righteouftet, as the defervingMatter and Caule, 2. The Adofthe New Covenant, giving him a part in Chrift, and with him Pardonof fin, and Right totheSpirit ofGrace, and unto Glory, 3. The Gift of Faith and Repentunce, that Chrift andhis further Grace may be ours; and for continuance, the holy Habits and Ads ofSandification. And teeing all found Expofitors confefs (with Brza) that at leaL three Texts by Juftification mean or include Sandification, we have reafon to judge, that part of Sandificatim is here inclu- ded in Vocation, and part in Juftification, and, Come think, the Triumphant part in Glorification. And certainly this inferreth no unfound Doárine. 4..Auguffine thought, that the Links of this are reparable, nnlefs you include the firft as the Qualification ofall the reft, by way ofdiftindion ; and that the meaning is, That [God will call all the Predeftinate or Elea, and will juftifie all the Predeftinate that are called, and will glorifie all the juftified that are predeftinate and called]; but that there are tome juftifyed. and fandifyed, that were not predeftinate, norlhall he glorifyed, but fail away. What the fenfe of the Ancient Fathers was about Perfeverance, Car. VJJius hath fo truly opened in his Tholes, that I may thither refer the inguifirive. My own lènfe of it I have opened in my CatholickTheologie; and it's too long aCafe to be handled here. But I think no conhrmed Chriftian dot . totally and finally fall away; and that the reft of the Doubt Should not be thought enough to break the Love and PeaceofChriftians. VIII. As to the Doubt, Whether the 32 and 39 Verles (peak [ f God's Love to us, or ours to him,] as they are in themfelves infeparable, fo I think that the Context giveth us Reafon to think that it is both, even theBond of mutual Love which is here fpakea of. All the doubt is, Whether it be fpoken ofevery true Chriftian, or only ofthe Elea and Confirmed ; of whichbefore. CHAP. IX. I. j Say the truth in Chrift, I lie i not, my confciencealto bear- ing me witnels in the holy Ghofh, z. That I have have great heavinefs and continual forrow in my heart. 3. For I could with that my fell were accurfed from Chrift for my brethren, my kinfinen according to the fleth : I. z, 3. I am fo far from Paying all that I have raid in contempt of the vows, or triumph over them in their mifery, that I proteft as a Chrifti- an, I lie not, my Confcience bearingme witnefi, which is illuminated, and àduated by the Holy Ghoft, that in themidft of all my rejoycing in Chrift, I have great hravinefs and continual for- row ofHeart, for the fin and milry of theyews, who are my Brethren and Kinfinen accordingto the Flefh s yea, fo great, that yyerc my eif;t mi._ fery a means by which God would fave their Nation, I could content to he deprived of my part of bleffednels with Chrift, and ufed as a curled Man, for their Convention, that all the Grace foredefwibed might be theirs. I fay not that I do with it, for it is no means to any fuch end ; but that I could with it, ifGod hadmade it fuch a means : Bemire the happinefs ofa Na- tion, and theGlory of God's Grace in fo mans, is much better than my tingle welfare, andifGod had let them in competition, the belt lhould have been preferred. 4. Who are Ifraelites ; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glo- ry, and the covenants, and the giv- ing of the law, and the fervice of God, and the promifes; 5. Whole are the fathers, andof whom as con- cerning the flea], Chrift came, who is over all, Godbleffcd forever. Amen. 4, y. V.r;

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