Senn. CLXXIV. and the Merit of Chrift, conl/lent. 4g,7 I farther puopofe is, tomake Come Itefle &ions upon this whole Difcourfe, parricu. lady that which relates to Juftifying Faith, and then to apply all to ourown UCe. havealready taken noticeof Two Obje&ions, to which my Difcourfe may feem liable ; and if yet there remain any Prejudice upon any Man's Spirit ageing this Do&rine, I would defire fuch calmly to confider it, and theagreeablenefs of it not to the Opinions of Men, but to the Word of God, and the fuitablenefs of it to the great defign of Chriftian Religion, every where expreft in the Gofpel, which is to bring Men to Holinefs and Obedience. And what Argument and Confideration can be more powerful to take Men off from Sin, and to excite them to the pra&ice of Holinefs, than this, that Repentance and Obedience are an indifpenfabl.e Con- dition of our Juftification and Pardon ? And this is the very point in difference, whether the Gofpel do not make Repentanceand Obedience conditions of our Par- don and Juflification, as well as an affent to theTruth of the Gofpel, and a truft in Chrift as the meritorious Caufe ofour Salvation. That they are, I have endeavoured to prove fromScripture ; and for the farther clearing of- ir, I &fire that the Na tune of theGofpel Covenant may be well confider'd, which' I take to be this. On God's part there are certain Benefits promifed, Juftificatioó, and Pardon of Sin, and Eternal Life and Salvation, On our part there are certain Conditions required be- fore we can be made Partakers of thole Benefits ; thefe are, to affent to the truth of the Gofpel, trulting inChrift asour only Saviour, Repentance from dead works, and a fincere purpofe and refolution of Obedience, and holy Life; thefe make up the whole and entire Condition of the Gotpel, and are often expreft by this one word, Faith, which fignifics the whole duty of a Chriftian ; becaufe he that truly believes the Gofpel, will do whatever theGofpel requires. And hence it is, that to be a Chriftian, and to be a Believer, are in the Phrafe of the New Teftament all one. Now the matter in controverfie is plainly this ; whether this whole Condi- tion be required ofus in order ro our Pardon and Juftificatian, as well as in order to our Salvation. ThatRepentance, and Obedience, and Holinefs of Life, are Con- ditions of our Salvation, I think is univerfally agreed 5I am lure it is clearly expreft in thefe two Texts, Chriff it the author of eternal Salvation to them that obey him, Heb. S. 9. Without Holinefs no Man (hallfee theLord, Heb, ra. x4. And that the Condition of our Juftification and Salvation are the fame; I think is every whit as clear both from Scripture, and from the general. acknowledgment of Divines by neceffary confequence. From Scripture, Sr. James Pays, that the fame thing that ju- ftifies us,. Eaves us : for when he difputes, whether we are juftified by Faithonly, or by Faith and Works, he hath this Expreflion, What doth itprofit, my Brethren, rho' a Man fay he hat &Faith, and have not Works, can Faithfave him ? From whence the Inference is plain, that upon the very fame Condition that we are juftified, we are laved. And 'cis evident by nece(fary confequence from the general acknowledg- ment of Divines; for I think this is univerfaly agreed by Divines, that whatever puts a Man into a Rate of Tuftification and Pardon,. puts a Man into a (tote of Sal-, vation ; and if this be true, it neceffarily follows, that the Conditions of our Ju- ftification and Salvation are the fame : and if affairto the truth ofthe Gofpel, and truft in Chrift as -our only Saviour, be the only Conditions of our Juftification, then they are the onlyConditions of our Salvation ; and Repentance and Obedi- ence are not Conditionsof our Salvation -: but if they be Conditions of our Salver Lion, then they' are of our Juflification. And I will bebold ro fay, that this bath as much of demonftration in it, asany thing in Divinity is capable of. ; and I won- der extremely how any Man, that confiders the Nature of the Gofpel-Covenant, can imagine that we Ihould bemade Partakers ofany Blefiing orBenefit promifed in the Covenant, without performing the whole Condition of the Covenant. And now if any Man ask, Cui done ? To what end is all this ? Suppofe it be true, to what purpofe is it to awaken differences, and fir up controverfies a- bout there matters ? In order to thefe two Ends, which I take to be very confide- table. r . That we may be able to anfwer the Papifts, who charge uswith Solijidianifm as if we were of this opinion, That if a Man do but truft in Chrift, that is, be but confidently petfwaded that he will fave him, and pardon him, this isfuflicient and
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