Direst. VI. Of SanE?jcation. 107 once, before they are come to Chrift, the only Phy- fician and Saviour. They lay their own obedience lowefl in the foundation of their falvation, and build the enjoyment of Chrift upon it, who ought tò be the only foundation. They would fan f ify them- felves, before they have a Pure intereft in Chrit{; and, " going about to eltablith their own righteoufnefs, " theydo not fubmit themfelves to the righteoufnefs " of God in Chrifi," Rom. x. 3, 4. Sometimes they will call the righteoufnefs of Chrift, their legal righ- teoufnefs, that they may make room for an evange- lical righteoufnefs of their own works, to be the im- mediate procuring caufe of their juftification by Chrift; whereas the Apoftle Paul knew no evange- lical righteoufnefs but that of Chrift, which he call- ed "the righteoufnefs offaith without the law," Ro. iii. 21, 22 and not of the law, Phil. iii. ,o. Thus they make void Chrift's falvation while they pretend to own it, and he profiteth them nothing. Chrift is become ofnone area to them, while they would be juftilied by the law, Gal. v. 2, 4 , If we would be fared by Chrift, we muff own ourfeives dead, loft finners, that can have no righteoufnefs for juftifi- cation but his, no Iife or ability to do good, un- til God bring us into union and fellowfhip with him. 2d1y, They do alfa aft contrary to falvation by - grace, according to the true meaning of the gofpel. For we are not fared by grace, as the fupreme caufe of falvation, by the intervention of works given and accepted by grace as the procuring caufe: in which fenfe we might be fared by grace, tho' by a covenant of works ; as a ferrant that bath monies given him by his matter, to purchafe an annuity of his matter at a low rate, mayprofefs that hehad an annuity giv- en him freely, and yet that he hath purchafed it, and may claim it as a due debt. But we are fared by grace, as the immediate and complete caufe of our whole falvation, excluding procurement of our fall; O 2
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=