6oo Praflical Cbrijlianity, If God (avt them only th.'?t work fw Salvation, how then doth he fove them freely, and thRt by Grace we are Javed l Anjw. I. Firft, In general 1anfwer, That Salvation upon our 'Narking and Obedience is free Slllvation, and th.at for four Reafons. Wcrkirg (t.) Firft, Becaufe all our working ' is a natural Duty that we owe to God as f~r StJ/v.t. Creatures to their Creator. Had God required the fame Thin~s of us that ~ow ';u~/ ;;; he dorh, and never propounded a Reward to incourage us, he bad been jufl: and fo nor' me- we had been as abfolutely. and as indifi?enfably obliged to obey as n?w we arc. ritoriov-s, We have not fo great a Rtght to Salvation, as God hath to our Obedience. God can challenge our Service and Obedience from us, becaufe of our natural Bond .1nd Obligation, as well as tram that voluntary Covenant whereinto we have entred with God to be Obedient; but we .can only plead for Salvarion, becaufe God hath made a Promife that he will fave thofe that Obey. Whether God had made that Promite or nor, yet he might have required the fame Obedience from us that now he doth, becaufe we owe it to him naturally by our Creation. And is it not now free Grace and Mercy, that when God might h3.ve required Obedience with... out a Reward, that yet he will beftow Salvation according to that Obedience? See Luke 17. what our Slf'IJiour faith in Luke 17. Doth the M after thank the &rvant becaufe he did the 9, 10 • thmgsthathewascommadedtodo? ltrownot. So even ye likewife, whmyf1Uh.1ve done all thofe rhitzgs that are commanded you, fay, we are unprojita~le Servants; for when we have done all, we ha"Jt but done tlutt which WM our Duty to do. Yea, and our Duty it was to do it, though God had never made a Promife to reward what we have done. Vi/ e are unprofitable Servants and def~rve not fo much as Thanks. D oth the Mxjler thank the Servant becaufe he did the things that were commanded? I trow trot. And if we do not merit Thanks when we have done our utmoft, how then can we merit Salvation? die,~e U imperfeCt in tbn Life. (2.) Secondly, Our Obedience is imperfeCt in this Life, it is full of cracks and flaws : And if to accept and reward the moft perfect Obedience with Salv.ation, be an Act of Mercy and free Grace, as it is, becaufc it is our Duty if there were no Salvation promifed; how much more is free Grace magnified and glorified in ac· ceptingand rewarding a weak and imperfea Obedience with that Salvation, which the moft perfect Obedience cannot deferve? For when we ha'lle done all, we h.tve done but that which w.u .our Duty to do; and if we could fay fo, doth the M after thank the Scr~ vant? No: But alas, in many things we offend all. Now to reward that with eternal Salvation, that deferves eternal Damnation; to reward that Work with Life, that deferves to be rewarded with Death, what is this but the effi.·Cl: ot rich and glorious Grace? What is this but to beftow Heaven, not accordi11g to Meri~ but rather according to our Demerit? 1bere ~no (3) Thirdly, Becaufe there is no comparifon betwixt Salvation and our Obedi· ~11111PJrtjiJn ences, and therefore free Grace fhines forth ftill. It is free Grace though wt do s:~;;::n obey: We obey as Creatu• es, God rewards as a God; our Obedi ence is Tempo.. nn1. ou 1 r o. raJ, but our Reward is Eternal; our Obedience is mixed with Rebellion, bu1 the b:dience, Reward hath no mixture to take off the fulnefs and fweetnefs of it. Therefore it is free Grace ftill to give an infinite Reward to fo mean an Obedience, betwixt which Obedience and Reward, there is no comparifOn or proportion. Grace (4.) FourthLy, Though we arc commanded to obey, yet that Grace whereby we whu{bJ . do obey, is the Gift of God. lt is he that works in us this Obedience which he ~;~:};~rewards with Salvation: And muft not this then be wholly of free Grace? To fJve God. upon an Obedience wrought in us by .God himfelf, it is to fave altogether as freely as if we were faved without any Obedience at all. And fa much in .Anjwer unto the Third Objection. Obj. 4• Fourthly, Others may fay, Th.tt it U a vain and moft needlcfs thitrg to prefs ~his .Do~ ffrine of workjng[or Salvation upon them. What! 'They work! If they arc Eicffed to Su[.. vation they /ba/J be fawd whether they 1vork or not; .tnd if they are ttot Eltffed, all thtir working '!Dill be to no purpoje, for they ]ball ne'Ver be faved by it• .Anfwer. To this I Anfrvtr, We are to look to God's Commands, not to his Decrees; to our Duty not to his Purpofes. The Decrees of God are a vaft Oct~tn, w_hcreinto many poffibly may have curioufiy pry'd to their own Horror and Defpatr; but few or none have ever pry'd into them to their own Satisfaction. This Ele£1ion in parti~ cular is not written in the Word of God, but this Duty is plaL1ly written : If thou performeft thy Duth thereby thou fhaltcometo know thy Eldlion. It is but
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