. The Cojpel-Mytery. area. IV. can lay any good claim to the enjoyment of it, and before we have any right to ufe any inftrument for the aftual receiving of it; and this they call an ac- ceptingof, or receiving Chrift. . And, that they may the better fecure the practice ofholinefs bytheir con- ditional faith, they will not have trufting in God or Chrift for falvation, to be accounted the principal faving ac of it; becAufe as it feemeth to them, ma- tey loofe wicked people trait on God and Chrift for their falvation as much as others, and are, by their confidence, hardened the more in their zvickednefs; but they had rather it fliould be obedience to all Chrift's laws, at leaft in refolution; or a confent that Chrift fhould by their Lord; accepting of his terms of falvation, and a refignation of themfelves to his government in all things. It is a fign that the Scrip- ture form of teaching is grown into dif-efteem with our great matters of reafon, when trufting in the Lord, fo much commended in Scripture, is account' ed a mean and ordinary thing. They endeavour to affright us from owning faith to be an inftrument ofjuitification, by telling us, that thereby we that ufe the inftrument, are made our own principal juftifi. ers, to the difhonour of God; though it might be earl; 1v anfwered, that we are made thereby only the prin- cipal receivers of our own juftification from God, the giver of it, to whom'a:ll the glory belongs All thefe errors will fall, if it can be proved, that such a faith as I have defcribed, is an inftrument whereby we actually receive Chrift himfelf into our hearts, and holinefs of heart and life, as well as juf tiftcation, byunion and fellowfhipwithhim. For the proof of it, I. Mall offer the following arguments Fir)1, By faith we have the actual enjoyment and poífetrion of Chrift himfelf, and not only ofremiffion of fins, but of life, and fo of holinefs. " Chrift dwell- " eth in our hearts by faith, Eph. iii. 17 We live " to God; and yet not we, but Chrift liveth in us by " the faith_of the Son. of G.od,, Gal. ii. i , w. He
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