Baxter - BT767 B28 1662

'.A Saint or 4 Bruu: Part II. ~ ~d Wijdom, ~nd Goodne[s ; fo that the bldfed Author may to a huthful foul be known by the work. . ~ 5· If the Scripture t~~t~e notfrGmtheSpirit, itcl)u!dnot g~ve or cauje the fpirit ; and tf tt bore not Gods Image it felf ho.w could it priRt his Jmage up?n the fnuls offo many cho1:1fand; :ts tt dotb ?. The Image of G~d ts firft engraven on the feat of his holy Doetrme., and thereby tmprmted on theheart. There is no parr of that helJ change on m~n, bm what that holy DQClri11e wrought. If therefore the change be of God, the Doctrine that wroug~t it is of God : For both of them are the fame Image, anfwermg each other , as that on the feal and on the wax. But it js mofi certain that the Holy (hangc on the foul, is ofGod. Thenature of it ilieweth this: For it confifiech in the dellrutli– on of our fin, and the denyal of our felves, and the raifing the he~n above this world, and the total Devoting of our felvei and all rhat we have to God, and conforming our felves to his will, and refling in it, and feeking and ferving him with all our power, atgainJl all temptations, and living in .the fervent Lo,·e of God, and of our Brethren, and defires after everlafting life; and a raking Chrifi for our Lord and Saviour, to reconcile us to God , and do all this in us by his Spirit: And furely fuch a work as this rnufineedsbeo(God. If itbeGood, it muftneedsbeOriginAl~ from him that is mojf GooJ. : this is undenyable. (And he that will fay, this is Evil, is fo much of the Devils nature and mind, ~hat it is no wonder if he follow him, and be Brutified ). And you cannot fay, that theWork.,istood, and the DoElrine bad : For the ·work_ is nothing bm the Imprefs of the DoDrine : And God dotl-1 not ufe to appoint or ufe a frame of falfooods and deceits, as his ordinarymeam to renew mens fouls , and work them to his Will. Perhaps youwill fay, that you fee no fuch change made by the Word , nor any fr1ch fpirit given by it unto men, but only the effe<.'ts of their own Imaginations. But, 1. The ~efiion is, Whe– ther.they are True or ·falfe lmagint~tions ? Gods .truth ca~fet~ that Imprefs on the mind of man , which you call hts I'ffutgtntih– ons : For where fhould Truth be received, but in ther»i1'd! and how fhould it work, but by cogit~ttion ?They are cogitationsabove and contrary to rhofe of flefh and blood , that are wro1:1~hr by this holy DoElrine. It is ncvenhelefs ~f the fpirit , becaufe lt moveth manby confidcr~ttion. . ''" · · · · 2. And

RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=