74 The Gofpe-.M5,/lery Direa. IV. en by the grace of God to all that believe on him for, " we are faved by grace through faith; and that 'u' not of ourfelves; it is the gift of God, Eph ii. 8, " g. We are juftified freely by his grace, through " faith in his blood," Rom. iii. 24, 25. The Holy Ghoft, who is the bond of union between Chrift and us, is a gift, Acts ii. 38. Now, that which is a gift of grace, mutt not at all be earned, purchafed, or procured by any work or works performed as a con- dition to get a right or title to it: and therefore faith itfelf mull not be accounted fuch a conditional work. " If it be by grace, it is no more of works; other- " wife grace is no more grace," Rom. xi. 6 The condition of a free gift is only, Take, and Have. ,A.nd in this fenfe, we will readily acknowledgefaith to be a condition, allowing a liberty in terms where we agree in the thing ; but if you give a pepper- corn to purchafe a title to it, then you fpoil the free- nefs of the gift. The free offer of Chrift to you, is fufficient to confer upon you a right, yea, to make it your duty to receive Chrift and his falvation as yours. And becaufe we receive Chrift by faith as a free gift, thereforewe may account faith to be the inftrument, and, as it were, the hand whereby we receive him. Fourthly, It hath been already proved, that all fpi- ritual life and holinefs are treafured up in the fulnefs of Chrift,and communicated tous byunion withhim. Therefore the accomplifhing of union with Chrift, is the firft work of faxing grace in our hearts. And faith itfelf being an holy grace, and part of fpiritual life, cannot be in us before the beginning of it; but .rather it is given to us, and wrought in the very working of theunion. And the way wherein it con- duceth to the union, cannot be by procuring a mere title to Chrift as a condition, becaufe then it fhould be performed before the uniting work beginneth; but rather by being an inftrument, whereby we may aftually receive and embrace Chrift, who is already
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