Marshall - BT765 M37 1788

ÍÌiret. XIV. Of Sandi zcation. 287 great argument to prove, that it is the way of God, and hath the charaaer of his image Ramped upon ir. We may fay, that it is like him, and a way according to his heart; as Chrift proveth his doarine to be of God, by this argument, John vii. i 8. And Paul prov- eth the doarine ofjuftification, and of fanEìification, and falvation by grace thro' faith, to be of God; be- c aufe it excludes all boaftings of the creature, Rom. ur. 27, 28. t Cor. í. 29, 3o, 31. Eph. iii. 8, 9. This property appears evidently in the myflery of fanai fication by Chrift in us thro' faith. For, i. It fheweth, that we can do nothing by our na- tural will or any power of the flefh; and that God- will not enable us to do any thing that way, Rom. vii. 18. however nature be ¡tined up by the law, or natural helps, Gal. iii. 21. And fo it ferveth towork Pelf-lothing and abafement, and to make us look up- on nature as defperately wicked, and raft cure, and not to be reformed, but put off, by putting on Chrift. It remains wicked, and only wicked, after we have put on Chrift. 2. It fheweth that all or good works, and living to God, are not by our own power and ftrength at all, but by the power of Chrift, living in us by faith; and that God enableth us to at, not merely accord- ing to our natural power, as he enableth carnal men and all other creatures, but above our own power, by Chrift united to us, an,d in us thro' the Spirit. All men live, move, and have their being in him ; and, by his univerfal fupport and maintenance of na- eure in its being and aaivity, they aa, Heb. i 3. fo that the glory of their aff.ings as creatures be- longs to God. But God aas more immediately in his people ; who are one flefh and one Spirit with Chrift ; and as not by their own power, but by the power of the Spirit of Chrift in them, as clofejy u- nited to them, anel beingthe living temples of his Spi- rit; fo that Chrift is the immediate principal agent of all their good works, and they are his works pro-

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