Rutherford - HP BS2575 .4 R975 1743

122 · The Trial and St<R. r 3 . jrom the condemning Power of the Law? Can the LawJPeak to any but to thofe wbo areunder the Law ? Is it Laezv at all, if it condemn not ! Anf. Actual Condemnation may well be feparat.. ed from the Law: As a Lyon, is a Lyon and yet beingchained,cannotaCl:ually devour.To cond~mn may well be removed from the Law, it could not condemn A dam before Sin entred into the World ; it cannot condemn the holy Ele.:t, and finlefs .Angels ; yet it had, and h~th a Commanding and obliging Power to command and ' ·direCt both ; to condemn is accidental to the Law, a:s the State ofSin is accidenta~ to :Man. , z. The Law may fpeak by way of _Direttion to Believers but canndt fpeak to them by way of actual Con- ' clemnation, becaufe Chrift bath removed the Curfe. , Obj. 2.. Holinefs ~ walking in _the Way of HoJinefs contributeth not one jot to Salvation, liS cau.fts, or as the way thereto, Chrift bath done that perfeBty. Anf. I pray you confider three Things here ; J, The wilt of God to fove ; yea, and to ju{lifie the Ungodly. z..7us, the Law rif{ht to Rir!,hteoufnefs and Salvation. ABuat Salvation; Chrifts Mer~ts are neither Caufe, nor Mo· tive, nor condition moving God to will, to choofe or ordain Perfons for Glory, this is an Act of et<;rnal Eledion to Glory, which is not from Chrifts Merits : Nor dotb any external Work or · Condition, either good or Evil in 7aco!J or Efau, or in the furety Chrift, move God to fuch an Atl of free Liberty. Libertines are ignorant in fo fpeaking ; yea, Faith is no Condition, Caufe, or · · motive of fuch a Will. :. Chrifts .Aferits, not Faith, not Holinefs in · us, muft be the Caufe of I our

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