Baynes - BS2695 B289 1643

252 Doty. No works of ours can mciit falvation. Objetí. e4nfw. Even the ju- ftified merit nothing. Fjafan r. 2. 3. ObjeËE. e/lnfw. 4. .Ephelianr, Chap.z. V s R,9, in way of amplification to íhew, that noworks areof venue to bring us to falvation. This the Apofile fetteth down in oppofition to the corrupt judgement of the world , affirming that all falvation in hea- ven, and affurance of it here, is not by works, but of the meer grace of God : And this he proves by the endof the graceof God, which is to exclude all glory and boafling in our felves. Here then obferve, that Nothing which wedo,doth merit ourfalva- tian, or it a caufe procuring it unto us. Thus the Apofile doth every where flint out the defers of works from being caufes of falvation. God even in ibraham hath (hewed us an enfample, who had the in- heritance given him, not upon working, but beleeving ; His Faith aas accountedto him for righteoufneJfe, Rom.4.a2. Gal.3.6. And that ofSarah and Hagar ; How HaganJens could not inherit, that is, they that are according to the Covenant of the Law, couldnot by the worksof the Law be juflified, Gal.4.23. But the Papifis will cxcept,that they are works ofthe Ceremoniall Law; or if of the Morali Law, yet fuch as literally onely, and not fpiritually, have conformity with it. But in vlbraham this is refuted, whofe works (now being juffified) arc debarred from being his righteoufneffe before God,or giving title to the true Canaan. Again, the Apoflle doth beat all fuch exceptions flat to the ground in this Text, letting us plainly fee, that heunder- fiandeth thofe works whichwe do nowcreated in Chr', Ephef.a.to. And this Legali fentence of Do and live, in which tenure the Law runneth, the Apoftle reached' that it bath no place in the beleevers. But it will not beamifl'o, r. todemonftrate it by reafon, a. to clear the main Obje&ions, and fo to come to the life. Our works even ofSanetification cannot merit our falvation, be- caufe they are the motionsof us alreadyCaved, they are the effects of falvation already revealed in us, not the caufes of that we have not. The Scripture knoweth not but one onely way to falvation, which is fucceffively promoted, Whom god juffifreth, them he gleri. fresh, Rom. 8.3e. Secondly, works are irnperfct t in us; the Aeth and fpirit fo (hiving, that the aftion even of that which is predominant is brought forth (by reafonof this tirite) with great imperfeetion. Infants are faved, butthey have no merits ; for the habits of holi- neffe are not meritorious, as being freely received : Salvation there- fore is grounded onCome other thing then works, or Infants could not be heirs of heaven. It will be granted it is fo ; it is both an inheritance as we areSons, anda reward deferved, as workers. But this will not hand, thefe two titles one overthrow theother; zf of'the Law, then not of Faith, Ga1.3.r4. That for which we are accounted righteous, for that we are faved alfo; inwhat our righreoufnetï'e is grounded, in that our falvation is grounded; for, what is our juftifying! It is the acquiring ofus from

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