C H A P. 3®. Love &C. not Conditions of yulification. 379 for the fins that are charged upon him ; nor ro allure Chrift, to do for him; unlefs it be wretchednefs & miferie, that may move Chrift to compafïionate his cafe ; fo he can de nothing for the future,that can be accepted of God, till he be renewed ; He is made to fee , that there is a Natural Impotency ( I mean not a phyfical impotency , as if he wanted a foul or Faculties) in him to any thing that is good , & a pravitie ofWill , whereby it is impofïi- ble, that he can do any thing , conforme to the will of God , until! he be Regenerated , made willing by an omnipotent Power, & have a new adì- ve Principle of life and grace , given unto him, or infufed in him , by the Spirit of Jefus. 2. Whereupon , it ismanifeff, That a finner in that plight (& in that 4" Condition we muff confider him to be , who is now feeking to be juflified, and to be delivered from the wrath of God for fin ) in fleeing to Chri(1 for refnRe, cannot be thought to be making any fuch Promifes, or having any fuch Refolutions,in order tohig Juflification,an4& Freedom from theCurfe ofthe Law; He that is throughly convinced of his total Itiipotencie, will not think ( while he is under the power of thefe Convictions ) of making any Engagements for obedience in time to come : Yea , where any fuch things really were , it might be feared , that the work of Conviction was not deep enough ; and that fuch, fo acting, would not receive Chrift freely, as he is offered in the Gofpel; but rather came with a price in their hand , a par- cel of fáì're promifes for the future , of doing that , which was not in their power. But it will poili'bly be Paid. That though there be no exprefsand explicite Engaging & Promifeing here; yet there cannot but be a virtual en- gageing; as in the makinfbf Marriage , though the woman do not explicit- ly promife obedience , yet her engagement is included in her acceptance of the perfon. I Anfwere. Let us fuppofe , that the woman is every way as una- ble to obey her husband , as the finner , not yet converted , is to obey the commands of God ; & that from her husband alone she muff receive that, whereby she shall become able : & then fee, if her contenting to the match do formally - include, even virtually , her engagement ro future obedience. I do not fuppofe, by all this , that the Beleever is under no Obligation , or Engagnient to Obedience; for as he hath received a principle of obedience, even the new heart, thewilling miede, and the renewed faculties; fo he is under many Obligations, Promifes , Vowes & Engagements explicite & virtually , to carry asdevoytted unto God, in all obedience : but we are fpeaking here of a perfon, not yet out of the flare of nature, but being under the terrours of the Lord , and Convictions of guilt & mifery ;. is feeking.after a Reliefe, unto his prefent cafe , to wit , how he may be freed from the Curfe of the Law, and put in a Juffified date, & in Favoure with God. 3. Hence , it is much to be doubted (however it be put beyond all doubt ?, or difput, with Mr. Baxter) whether Faith , Saving & Juftifying, inclu- de effentially any fuch formal Engagement & Refolution unto Obedience ; feing the perfon, of whom we are fpeaking, fleet h to Chrift, for reliefe,as one, that is throughly convinced of his own Impotency, Inability to do a a any
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