Neal - Houston-Packer Collection BX9333 .N4 1754 v1

24 The HISTORY of the PURITANS. Chap. I. King In the article of juftification it affects, " That all the pofterity of eldam Henry VIII. " are born in original fin, and are hereby guilty of everlafting death and " damnation, but that God fent his own fon, being naturally God, to take Ofyufiifeca- " our nature and redeem us ; which he could not have done, but by virtue rian. " of the union of his two natures. It then fpeaks of a twofold juftifica- " ° tion: The firft is upon our believing, and is obtained by repentance, " and a lively faith in the paffion and merits of our bleffed Saviour, and joining therewith a full purpofe to amend our lives for the future; the " fecond or final juftification at death, or the laft judgment, implies fur- " ther, the exercife of all chriftian graces, and a following the motions of " the fpirit of God in doing good works, which will be confidered and " recompenfed in the day of judgment. When the fcripture fpeaks of " juftification by faith, without mentioning any other grace, it mutt not " be underftood of a naked faith, but of a lively, operative faitlq as be- "° fore defcribed, and refers to our firfi ju/lification; thus we are juftified by free-grace: And whatever (hare good works may have in our final " jujlfcation, they cannot derogate from the grace of God, becaufe all '° our good works come of the free mercy and grace. of God, and are " done by his affiftance ; fo that all boasting is excluded. Of good This leads to the article of good works, " Which are faid to be abfo- ,Works. " lutely neceffary to falvation ; but they are not outward corporal works, but inward fpiritual works ; as the love and fear of God, patience, hu- mility, ßc. Nor are they fuperftitious works of mens invention ; nor t0 only moral works done by the power of reafon, and the natural will of '" man, without faith inChrift ; which though they are good in kind, do " not merit everlafting life; but fuch outward and inward good works as " are done by faith in Chrift, out of love to God, and in obedience to his " commands; and which cannot be performed by man's power without " divine affiftance. Now thefe are of two forts, (i.) Such as are done `r< by perfons already juftified ; and thefe, tho' imperfect, are accepted for " Chrift's fake, and are meritorious towards the attaining evtrlafting life. " (2.) Other works are of an inferior -fort, as fafting, alms- deeds, and " other fruits of penance, which are of no avail without faith. But after " all, juftification and remiffion of fins is the free gift of the grace of " God ; and it does not derogate from that grace, to afcribe the dignity to good works abovementioned, becaufe all our good works came of the grace of God. Of praying The chapter of prayer for fouls departed, leaves the matter in fufpence ; for 'Tis good and charitable to do it; but becaufe 'tis not known what con- dition departed fouls are in, we out only to recommend them to the " mercy of God. In

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