Of Par..4on. an<i Forgj'Z{enc[s of Sin. I... ......, Blot in God's Remembrall.ce-Book : .:Y~eaJ it were)itt.er and more becoming the Infinite Bounty of God, to giv~ ~ardon al]d I:Ieav,en freely, than eo fet them to fa le for fuch incontiderable thmgs as thefe a:e: . . . Heavf31n needed not to have been fo needlefly· prod1gal.and lav1fiung, as to have fent the LordJefus Chr\ft into the Wor~d eo lead a m.ferable L.ife, and die1 a curfed Death~ had ir been poffiblc for Man to hav: bought off his ow? Guilt, ~nd to have quieted Scores with God3 bX a lower Pnce than what ~hnft himfelf could do or fuffer. And fo much for t~e Refolmion of rhc FJ,ff }tuejfion;, God's pardot~ ing Grace, thOugh i t b~ purc~afed in r~_fpec1: of Chrifr, yet is it abfolutely free in refpect of any Ment'of ours. . T he StconJ .f?2....ueftion is, T-Vhether the Gr~ce ofGod be fo free, Jts _to re'#~r~ no 9onditions on our Ptzrt, Of GifcsJ fomc are bellowed abfolutelyJ Wtthput an¥ Terms of Agree mem; an~ f.Ome. ar~ condi t iol!al, upon the Performance of fuch ~tipuladons and Condmons; without wh1ch they fhall not"be befiowed; of whtch fort is rhis Grace of God. - . · I anfwer, Firft, ThefanEiifjing and regenerating Grace of r.o,/, whereh.l t~e great San!iijj·~ Change iJ 1vrought upon our Hearts, in our jirft Converjio11 and Turning unto God, is ~ng ~r.uc givm abfo/11tet,, and depmds not up_on the Perfqrm1znce of any. C01ulitiom. _lnde.ed,;bf:i':r;,. we are commanded to make uJc of M:cans for the geccmg true and favmg 'J Grace wrought in us : But thefe Mean~ :ne not Conditions for the obtaining of that Grace ; for the Natu.re.of Con.d.it1ons are fuch_, that the Denefits which depend Upon them :lee never beftow'd, but ·where the Conditions are firft perfor~ted : And rherefore ~e ~all Faith and R~pentance Conditio~s ofEter-. nal Lite, bec:wfc Erernal L1fc ts never conferr d upon any who d1d not .firft believe and repenr. Dut now certa in it is, God hath converted feme without the Ufe of ordinary·Me.ans, as Sr. !'aul, and the Thief on the Crojf. Therefore, thOUgh we arc commanded to.t:fe the_Means, yet the yre of Mea~. and O rdinances can!lo t be called Condm ons ot our Regenerauon. And indef;d, if any thing-could b~ fuppofca a Condiriontofobta ining Graf:e, it muft either .be a Work of N:uure, or a.Work of Grace: Now a Work of Grace it ·can1-10t be, ti ll Grace be wrought; and tO go about to ma·ke a Work of Nature a Condition of Grace, it is. ro gq abo.uc tO revive that old ,Error of the Pel;gi-· ·ans, for which they ftand Anathemadz'd in CDunt Palej!ine many YcarS: fir;tce. !SanCtify ing Grace is given freely, excepted from any C6ndirlons, ,though .nor excepred from rhe Ufe ofMeans. ·· .. . · · · ;. Secondly, 'Jufli[Jing and pardoning Grace, thcugh it he frie, yet is it,limiteJ the Performance ofcertai11 ConditiMu, without 7Vhich God never be]!ows if.Ufon any~ and thf] -re two., Faitb.antl Reftntance: ~?d. rhefe .~races God beftows 'upo~ whom he pleafeth, Without any foregomg Condmons. Faith in Chr.ift, it is the freefi Gift that ever God befiow'd upon any, except that Chrifton whom 6\!C believe. But Pardon of Sin is reftrain~d to Faith ~ anp Repemanc'e as the Condidons of ir; nor is it ever obtain!d withOL!t them. The,fe ;wo ~hings rhe ~Scriprure doth abundantly confirm to us : WhoeVer believeth on him jhaUobtai11 remiffl.OIJ afjimJ Ads 10. 43· · Repe.nt, that']o#rftns may be bkttedou/ Acl:s ;. 19. Whoever believes on him; rherefFairh is'ma:de'"the Condition of Pardon. ·. Repent., that your fins may be _blotted out ; there Rep.entance is ,nla.de 1 theCo.nd irion of Pardon~ Tlie-fe . rwo ,P~trh;ulars corr~fPRhd with th~ . JWofold Covenant. of Grace 9od made -wirh .Man ; his" ibfolute Cov~nanr wherein hc_promiferh the· firfi. conveft. ing Grace: This ~O,y'en:tm '.l)dYv IS in~ dependent from any (Jbndirion·s; * Copy of wh ich we ha V~ in Ez..e~: 1 ~6 .' i6. Atmv hedrt.a/fo 7Vil! I giVe yctt-,. and a.'nwJ fpirit 1Vc/l I }f~~t·,~jJhin }oz, an(f,J;j;i/1 }au[e JOI~ 'to :w,_alk in ";J ftdtut~l'. and }otilfoal( kup my_judgmenl!t a"nd 'do the'm~ ~ J\pd ,t<h~n rhere 1~ ,God :i condttlOna_l C.o:renant ot. ~ra·ce; . whe~ein he ) pro.. nuferh Sal_var~on only upon the toregomg_ ~~ondmons 'ot ,F~ irh and,. Rep,e~ , .ranee ; th1s we. ha ve, lvlark I 6. 1 6. He that belze'r{eth fha/1, be [aved. b'· r .·.... ..; Thus I have flated the great. Queftion, Concerning the fr)ee Gr'ac.lOrtJ d ffhe. firft L1nctifying Grace> of God is fo free, as to exclude'al! Conditi?."J"·' ¥u;' rh~ JUftify ing and pardoning Grace 0~ ~od is li~lited tO. -the Condi'cj9~ o'f' .Fatth a,nd Repentance ; a~d both fanchfym17 "?d Jullifyin_g G<;ac~ aref"Ree!y befiow d Without any Ment of ours, bur: not Without rcfpetl: to che ·Merk ofr :r.he..Lord j cfus Chriil, who hath purchafed .rhcm ar;the 'hig heft Ra~e 'e-Yiu wirh his own mofi precious Blood. N n n n '• .. fn
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