Baxter - BT767 B28 1662

Partii.' ASttint()raBrnu: 1~3 2 • And if you fee not a work on the hearts of the regenerate gppearingin their lives, which raifeth them to a far better fl:ate then others, it can be no better rhenflrangenef.s or malice that £an fo far blind yotl. ~ 3. But if it be fo '\\ 1 ithyo~, give leave y~t to the perfons tfg~t Je_now this holy change in themfelve.s, to believe the more conh– dencly the Word that wrought it. We lz.now rhat we are renewed and pa[ed from our former fpiritea~ death to life: and therefore that it was the Truthof God that dtd the JlVo,k._of God upon us.• Nothing but Truth can[atJElifie : But the Word doth fanElifie : therefore theWtJrdis Truth. Indeed the Holy churr;hof Chrifi throughout all ages of .the world, bath been his living Image, and fo a li1:1ing Witnefs of his Word, as fhewing by their lives the tranfcript of tt in their hearts. le is ea fie for any that know them, except the malicioufiy blind, to perceive that the true fervants of Chrifi are n. more purified, refined, honeft, confciona-ble, holy, heavenly people then the rdc of the world. For my part, Iam fully convinced of it ; I fee it ; there is no comparifon : for all their imperfeCtions which they and I lament , I am fully fatisfied tha~ there is much Q10re of God on them then on others. And therefore there is much more of God in the DoCtrine that renewed them, then in any o~her: 1he Church is the living Scripture , the pillar and ground of the truth, I Tim. 3. I 5. theLaw id 'Written in their hearts, Heb.8. I o. bett~r then it was in theT abies of ftone, 2 Cor. 3. 3• And by t he.ir hol] Love andWork.J, the world may k._now that refus Chrift \\'at fent of the Father, aJ)d may be brought to believe in him, by their Vnity, 'John 17. 21,1.2,23. Matth. 5· :r6. God would not con– cnrr fo apparently and powerfully with a falfe doElrine, to make fo great achange in man; nor fo far own it , as to ufc it for the· doing of the mofi excellent work in all this world, even the ga– thering him fuch a Church, and fandifying to himfelf a pecultu pe9ple, zealous of good works, Tit. z. 14. If you fay that feme of the Heathens h.·zve ~cen a-s good : I an– fwer, I. The Goodnefs found in them , is but in t empcranct, fidelity, <'lnd fuch like ; and not aholy fpirituali ty , or l~ eavenlincf3, flO nor a through•confciencioufnefs in waat they knew. I 2. That good was rare in comparifon of that which the Gof e! worketh, as well as[mlflll. 3. ThaJ goad ~hi~h they had, was wrought on ly by fome X [crap;

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