L'oa. of Sts Per for. its ufefulnefí"eto promoteCo¡pell-0bedience. C.X.4: tg. that by theway ofmotive to this duty, there, is nothing comes with that effi- 237 cacy upon the foule, as the love of Chrift in his death, as the Apoftle affures us. 2 Cor. 5. 54. for the Loveofdrift confiraineth us, becaufe we thus judge, that if one diedfor all, thenwere all dead; andthat he diedfor all, that they which live,fionld not henceforth live unto themfelves, but unto hirá,which diedfor them, and rofeagaint : now it was never laid to the charge of this Dolrine, that it took offfrom the vertueof the Death and Croffeof Chrift, but rather on the contrary, though falfely, that itafcribed toomuch thereunto; fo that( there importune exceptions notwithflanding) the Do&rinein hand doth not only maintaine its own innocency , as to any tendencyunto loofenefle , but alto manifeftly declareth itsown ufefulneffe to all ends and purpofes of Gofpell Obedience whatfoever; For, 3. It {litres up, provokes, and drawes out into a&ion , every thing, that is ß,15q free, noble, ingenuous, filiall,andofanheavenly defcent in the Saints ofGods thus : I. It ftrengthens their Faith in God, and in Jefus Chrift,which is the hot- tomeof all acceptable Obedience whatfoever; All that, which proceedeth from anyother Roote, being but a product oflabouring in the fire, which in the end will confume both Root and Branch. That which prevailes upon, and drawes out the foule toFaith and believing, I meane , as it is peculiar to the Gofpell,and jnftifying, that is, as it is in God as a Father, and in the Lord Chrift as a Mediator, is the difcovery ofthe good ll-of God to the foule in Chaff, and hisdefigne toadvancehisGlory thereblr :1 fpeake not of the for - mall caufeofFaith ingeneral', but the peculiar motive toFaith , and Belie- ving in the fence beforementioned. Soour Saviour giving the command in general' to hisDifciples lob..14 I.ye believe in God believealfa inmee , in the whole enfuing Chapter, provokes them to it,withgratiousdifcoveriesof the good will ofGod; his Fathers , and his owngood will towards them 5 And indeed, propofe what other confederations ye will, provoke the fouleby all the feareand dreadofHell, andthe moft difinall reprefentation of the wrath tocome, untillit be convinced of this, it will never take one fteppe towards God in Chriff; Now our Adverfaries them"/elves being judges , the Do&rinewe have had under confederation, abounds above all others with thedifcoveries ofthe good will and kindneffeofGod to pooredfinners; yea the great crime, that is laid to the charge ofit,is, that it extends it too farre 5 it Both not only affert,that God freely beginne: the good worle in them , but that he will allo powerfully perfeel it to the day of jefoe Chrift ; It affures the foules of the pooreSaints ofGod, that he,who lookt upon them in their blond, andfaidun- to them Live, when noeye pittied them; who gnickned them, when theywere dead in trefpaffes andinjinn:, begettingthem ofhis own will , by the word of Truth, that theyjhould be a hindof fir" is fruits to himfelfe, wafbing them in the blond of his Bonne, and delivering them from the old Tyrant Satan , that he will not now leave them to themfelves , and to the Counfell of their ownhands, to ftandor fall according as they fhall of themfelves; and by themfelves, be a- ble towithftand oppofitionand fedu&ion: but that he will keep them in his own hand, giving them fuck confiantfupplies of his Grace and Spirit; as that in theufe ófmeaner, they (hall waite uponhim to the end t And that how- foever, or whenfoever, by the power ofTemptation, and furprifalls of cor- ruptions, theyare carriedafide from him, he will beale their back-flidings,and receive themfreely, and though they change every day, yet he changethnot,and therefore they arenot confirmed. And hereby,' fay, it confirmes and ftrengthens their Faith inGod, as a Father in Jefus Chrift , taking everlafting care of them. Hh3 2.Of
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