114 The Gofpel-Mvffery Direct. V of falvation by the works cf, the law maketh faith void, and the promifes of none effeì ; and fruftrat- eth the grace of God, as if Chrift died in vain; and rnaketh Chrift to be of no profit, and of none effect to us, as thc.fe that are fallen from grace, Rom. iv. 14. Gal. ii. 21, and v. 2. 4. Let us now examine the modern doctrine of falvation, by the condition of fincere obedience to all the commands of Chrift, and we fh:all quickly find it to be a chip of the fame block with the former legal way of falvation, in the fame manner deftruCtive to the means of holinefs, and to hoiinefs itfelf. It requireth of us the perfor- mance of fincere obedience, before we have the means neceffary to produce it, by making it antece- dent to our juRification, and perfuafion of eternal happinefs, and our aetual enjoyment of union and fe lowfh'ip with Chrift, and of that new nature which is to be had only in him by faith. It defiroyeth the nature of that laving faith whereby we actually re- ceive and enjoy Chrift and all his benefits, and knocketh off our hands from laying hold of Chrift and his falvation,, by telling us Rill, as Chrift told the legal worker after atl his labour, that yet we lack fomething, Mark x. 21. that it is prefumption to take him as.our own, until we have performed the condition for our right title to him ; which is ano- ther kind of Paving faith, otherwife called fincere obedience. By this devifed conditional faith, Satan keepeth many poor fouls at ,bay, poring upon their own hearts for many years together, to find whe- ther theyhave performed the condition,and whether they have as yet any right to Chrift for their falva- tion, not daring to venture to take him as their own. It is a thong partition wall, that will certainly hin- der the foul from coming to Chrift,until it be thrown down by the knowledge of falvation by grace, with- out any procuring condition of works. And tho' it be accounted but as the payment of a pepper-corn fcr a great eflate; yet it 4enough to break the abieft
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