Downame - Houston-Packer Collection BX5133.D76 C552 1611 v.2

44 What isrequiredtofacingvertues andgoodèboris, ye are thebranches: he that abideth inme and lin him, thefame bringeth forth muchfruit ;for withoutmeyecando nothing. So Eph.z.io. the Apofile faith, that wee are gods morkmanfhip created in Chrilt lefeu veto good worlles. It is therefore the roote Iefus Chrifi from which wefucke the tap ofvertue and goodneffe whereby we hue, and bring forth the fruitsofgodlines.Iris this Sunneofrighteoufnes, from which we borrow all our light ofgrace and verrue : forwhatfoeuergoodneffe there is in vs,itis either his inhcrentrightcoufnes and holinesimpu. tedand belonging veto vs, as being members ofhisbodie; or elfe wrought in vs by his Spirit offandiification dwelling invs, which alto wehaueby venueofthar vnión which is betweenevs and him.To this purpofe Bernardfpeaketh fitly: cidvobiscum what (faith he)haeeyou todowithveiled', whichareignorant virtutibusqui ofChrifi thevertueofGod? where,lprayyou,is truemifidome, der vhrutem butin thedoltrice o Chri ?whereis true righteoufees, but in Cbriftum igno- .f ,i ratis?el c.Ber- themercieofChrf?:There is true temperance,butin the lifeof nard.fup.Can- aril??where is truefortitude ,butin thepafflonofChrifl? Ther- tica,feraa.zz. fore theft alone are to be accountedwife who are inFíruffed in his doctrine ; thofealone iut},which throughhis 'sterile haueob- tained thepardonoftheirinns; theft alone temperate,whoftu- dieto imitatehis life ; andtheft only indeed içith truefortitude, who in aduerftie doe couragioufly embrace his leffns ofpa- tience.Sa that a man labeureth invaine to attain veto ver- tues,ifhe think`, they may be hopedforelfewhere, thenfrem the Lord o fvirtue,&c. Agaiue,the perfon beingin Chrifl,mull through faith inhim bee reconciled vntoGod; for the per- fon mull bee accepted before the vertueor dudecan be ac- ceptable; it being otherwife impoflible that the aólions of an enemie fhouldbcawell efleemed by him to whom hee is an enemie,efpecially when many lullexceptions may be ta- ken againfi them. Nowwe are all naturally beforewee are Eph.z.3. ingrafted into Chrifi by faith the childrenof wrath, and Rau.5.ro. enemies vntoGod,as the Apofile fpeaketh, and therefore Col.t.st. nothing invs can be pleating to God whilcfl we remaine in the flare ofvnbeliefe. Finally, before wee can bring foorth any good fuitesofvenue, and holy duties, it isneceffarie that webe fitti regenerate and fan&ified withhis fpirit, and our

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