C H A P. 30. Love &c. not Conditions of ` 7u f i ficdtion, 383 &tion Of its own averfion to purpofe.to pleafe God, that he by his ,Kingly Po- wer shall kill the enmity, Conquer the foul , bring it to purpofe, as well as practife,work in it to will as well as to doe,caft down imaginations, that exalt themfelves againft the knowledge of God, andbring every thought in captivi- tie to his obedience, fo when Faith as on him as a Prcphet, there is in this act neither purpofq nor promife , to obey him as a teacher &c. But from a Conviction that the mind is not onely void of light,but it is prepofïefhed with corrupt principles, fo that the man that hath nothing but the foul of a man, takes up the whole Gofpel Myfterie as foolishnefs. And it is impoflible for him, to know thefe things, fince they muff be fpiritually difcerned. I fay from this Conviction he receives Chrift as his wifdom, as he that shall give him an underftanding , to know him that is true; and to make him who is not onely as a beaft, but fo much worfe, that his light is darkenefe,of a quick underftan- ding in the feare of the Lord, and wife to falvation. Now this exa&ly anfwe- reth the finners need , and bath all his wants made up by Jefus Chrift accor- ding to his riches in glory, and God's end in makeing his Chrift to poor (in- ners wifdom , Righteoufnefs &c. That fo he, who gloríeth may glory in the Lord. Now if Mr. Baxter willConfider- this,he will even lay afide his Pepper- Corne as of no Price; for here all is without money and without Price to the poor foul &c. and he is confidered as a receiver of all from Chrift. C H A P. XXXI. Gofpel- obedience is not the Condition of JufHfication. THough , as we heard , Mr. Baxter himfelf will not fay , that Gof- pel- obedience is the Condition of luftification ; yet he recommen- deth a book CO us to perufe, to the end we may receive much light in the knowledge of the Gofpel, I meane the difcourfe of the two Covenants for- merlymentioned, wherein this is afl^erted with great confidence : And though this be fufficiently confuted by what is laid yet we shall in short take 'Tome notice of the grounds of this Mans Confidence, & give Tome remarks upon what he faith. He tels us pag. 1;2. That the fenfe, in which`the Apofiler did alert it, (i. e. Juflification by Faith without the works of the Law) war , that faith Ju jii- fieth without works , antecedent to beleeving ( This is what Bellarmin & other Papifi's fay ) e without porky , as the works of a literal obfervation of Mo fes law, which was oppofed by the jewel. to faith. This is hut his fi &ion, and its grounds may come to be confidered afterward, But what is this Faith ? It is a Faith ( faith he) that bath Repentance , Regeneration d?'iincere Obedience in a holy life for its in)eparableeffells. Then (i) this Faith is not fruite of Regeneration, becaufe Regeneration is an effect of it. (z) Then upon a mans fincere Belee- ving, he cannot be faid to have paffed from death to life, & be freed from Condemnation , nay not untill all the effects of faith be produced. Aud this Aaa- 3 he
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