Brown - BS2685 B86 1695

25 C H A P. XVPI I. Some of the duties of filch , as live the life of Jullifi- cation, propofed. IN the laft place , we shall mentione this We of the Truth , formerly cleared & confirmed , in reference to fuch as have attained unto this life of junification, through faith , which every one may readily fee, That it is the duty of fuch , as are made partakers ofthis life , to beware of filch thiìngs, as may & will provoke the Lord to anger ; & will be unfuta- blefor them , who are thus gracioufly advanced to filch an.high State & Pri- vilege of grace; & to minde filch duties , as do molt fuite fuch, as are fo high- ly advanced , and fo greatly obliged to him , that bath thus called them ef- feélually, by his grace , and bath wrought up their hearts unto a full com- pliance with the Gofpel - contrivance of free grace. Many filch particular duties might here be mentioned : but I shall only pointe at a few , to which others may be reduced. I. Such ,as live this life of Gofpel Juftifica: ion , should beware of inter - taining thoughts of pride , or of boafting ofany thing, they have freely and gracioufly received . and particularly they should guard againft boaftingin this matter , that they are preferred to others , and brought out of a {late of- death , when others are left yet to lye thereinto. This whole matter is fo. contrived , and fo wifely framed that no ground of boalling , either befo- re God , or man , may be left unto Man ; but that every one may celebrate the praife of Free Grace. Therefore 'unification is not by works , or by our obedience to the Law; for then the ¡unified man, being ¡unified upon the account of his own works, or of the works of righteoufnefs, .which he hath done, should have ground of glorying, though not before God , yet before Men; as having by his own fweating, working & doing obtained that, which others by their lazinefs , negligence &not doing, have come short of. Paul tels us this exprefly. kw. 4: z. I f Abraham were jufii f ed by works, he bath to glory., but not before God: and this is further confirmed verf.4. Now to him, that worketh, is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. So that if juftification were by works, Juflification it felf, & all the Confequences thereof should be due debt unto the worker, and his reward: and fo, as the hireling may boafl of his labour, when he gets his hire & reward; fo the ju- 4tifiedman, if ¡unification were by the works of the Law, might boaftof his own paines & diligence, as having received but his reward , and that which was due to him of debt , and not of grace. But now, that all mou- thes may be flopped , & no flèsh might glory or have ground of boafting, in themfelves, and before others , the Lord hath contrived a far other way of juflification s to wit, by Faith alone , . whereby the Man goeth out of hia,felf2 ret%anceth all his own Righteoufnefs , profeffeth hìmfeIÇ poor,. naked,

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