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Chapter 30
Whether love, purpose of obedience, or perseverance be
conditions of Justification
By what
is said, in our foregoing discourse, we may know, what is to be answered unto
these questions, so that we need not insist long, in the discussing of them. Some
of late lay down for a ground (and hereby give occasion to discuss these and
like questions) that whatever is or may be called, a duty of the Covenant of
Grace, is, upon that account, and may be called, the Condition of
Justification; thus confounding the whole order of the Gospel, and making all
duties, required of such, as are in Covenant, and ordained of God for other ends
and uses, to be required as conditions of entering into Covenant, and to have
the same use and end in and unto justification, which faith hath; contrary to
express Scripture, saying that we are justified by faith, and not by works of
righteousness, which we do, and contrary to the whole method of the Gospel, and
grounds laid down therein, for an acceptable performance of obedience.
As to
love, Papists make it the form (as they speak) of faith, not in itself simply
considered, but in order to justification and salvation thereby, saying that
faith without love is dead: And it is true, that true and saving faith worketh
by love: and that faith cannot be called saving or justifying, which doth not
excite unto acts of love, and many may deceive themselves with a faith, that
will not be found, when tried, to be of that right stamp, as the Apostle James
teaches. But yet they put no specific difference, commonly, betwixt this dead
faith and faith informed; for both (as to what is essential and intrinsic to
faith, which they hold to be an assent unto all things, revealed by the Lord
unto men, upon the account of the veracity and authority of the Revealer) are
one and the same; so as one and the same faith may be sometimes dead, when not
working by love, and sometimes lively, when formed with love. But of these
things we need not here speak: only we see, that with them, love is in a manner
more necessary unto justification, than faith; and must be looked on, as a
necessary condition thereunto, even as that, without which faith can do
nothing. And to confute this here is but vain, seeing it shall serve nothing to
our purpose; because with them justification is the very same, as that which we
call sanctification.
But
others, who have more sound and distinct apprehensions of justification, tell
us that love is the condition of justification, because a condition
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of the Covenant of Grace; as if all the duties of such
as are in marriage relations, were conditions of making up the marriage
relation. Others, who distinguish between faith and evangelic obedience, as
between consent to a man’s sovereignty, and obeying
him as sovereign, as Mr. Baxter does, Confess. pg. 89, 90, yet say, that
love is comprised in faith, and is some degree of justifying faith, and not
properly a fruit of it; because the Will’s apprehension of a good thing, or
earnest willing and accepting of it, is the same with love; so is the Will’s
consenting, electing, and accepting; and all this being in faith, love must be
comprehended in it. Yea, they say that as love and faith are propounded in the
Gospel, as of the same necessity, so they are necessary in justification, and
concurrent in apprehending Christ. So spoke Mr. Baxter in his Aphorisms.
And in his confession, p. 34, 35, he says, Though charity, as it respects
other objects, is no part of faith, yet as it respects an offered Savior, it is
as much essential to faith, to receive Christ with love, as it is essential to
a Savior (the object of faith) to be good for us; for good as good is received
by love. Nor was it ever the intent of the Holy Ghost, to take faith in Christ,
in so narrow a sense, as includes not love to him, when it is saving faith that
is spoken of.
In
reference to all of which, we need say but these few following things.
1. The
Scriptures do plainly enough distinguish between faith and love. They are
reckoned as distinct fruits of the Spirit, Galatians 5: 22, Love, joy,
faith. Yea faith is said to work by love, Galatians 5: 6. We hear of
work of faith, and labor of love, I Thessalonians 1: 3. We hear of Charity
out of a pure heart, and of faith unfeigned, I Timothy 1: 5. And
the grace of our Lord (says Paul, I Timothy 1: 14) was exceeding
abundant, with faith and love, which is in Christ Jesus. We hear of the
breastplate of faith and love, I Thessalonians 5: 8.
2. The
Scriptures do plainly tell us, that we are justified by faith, as we heard, but
never say that we are justified by love: and surely, as it is best for us to
regulate our expressions, according to the Lord’s revelation of this mystery;
so it cannot but be offensive to use such expressions, as not only are not
scriptural, but also seem inconsistent with scriptural expressions. When the
Scriptures say expressly and frequently, that we are justified by faith, and
that in opposition to works, and not only say it, but prove it, it cannot be
justifiable in us to say, that we are justified by love; seeing that would at least
seem to cross the Apostle’s assertion, the force whereof is (as ours abundantly
evince against the Papists) that we are justified only by faith, and
consequently by no other grace: neither by love, nor by hope, nor by patience,
&c.
3. By
the Scriptures telling us, that we are justified by faith, and never saying, that
we are justified by any other grace, as by love, &c. we are given to
understand, that faith hath other operations, uses and ends, in the office of
justification, than love, or any other grace hath: And therefore to insinuate,
that love hath the same interest and office in and about justification, that
faith hath, is to deny, or overturn the proper and specific actings of faith,
in order to justification: and, however small a matter this may appear to be at
first, yet, when it is further prosecuted, or the ground
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of this searched into, or its design and tendency
considered impartially, it will be found to be of a deeper consequence, and to
tend to the alteration of the whole specific nature of the Covenant of Grace, as
it is distinct from the Covenant of works: for though both faith and love may
and must be looked upon, as acting upon the same object –Christ, yet when faith
is conceived as acting no other way, than love, and both, as potestative
conditions, or as parts of one potestative condition, and no other way; it is
plain enough, how the special actings of faith, in compliance with the design
of God’s wisdom, grace, and love in the Gospel contrivance, and thereupon in
receiving and resting upon Christ, as the alone propitiating sacrifice, and on
his Surety righteousness, as that alone, by virtue of which they are to expect
justification and acceptance with God, and to receive the atonement, are laid
aside: And the believing soul is supposed not to act on Christ, nor apply him
and his righteousness in order to being acquitted from the sentence of the law,
and from the curse, due for the breach of the same, in that particular manner,
that both its case and condition require, and the Gospel points forth, and the
experience of soul, attaining hereby to peace, doth confirm.
4. It
is true, there is love to Christ, in the soul that believes, and it must be so;
and it is true also, that this love is called for in the Gospel, but hence it
will not follow, that love is the condition of justification, or that
everything, that is present with, or accompanies faith in justification, hath
the same use, ends, and interest in justification, or the same influence
thereupon, that faith hath; far less will it follow, that that which follows
faith, and whereby faith works through all the after-carriage of the believer,
hath the same place, power and interest in and about justification, that faith
hath, as we showed above of repentance.
5. If
by this love nothing else were meant, but that love of desire, that necessarily
accompanies the soul’s accepting, and closing with what is good, or offered as
good; surely, it would have given no ground of offense to have called it so,
and would have been more acceptable, than to have called it otherwise, even
though speaking strictly, the love of desire may be called love, and is a love,
in its own kind: and therefore, I judge, that denomination might have been
rather chosen, which would have given no offense, than the other, which to
avoid suspicion and offense, calls for so much waste of words, to render the
expression less noxious, especially, seeing for all that is said, in clearing
of the same, all ground of suspicion is not removed, but that some other thing
was intended, than that mere love of desire, that is inseparable from the Will’s
earnest pursuit after, or embracing any good thing offered; especially when it
is said, that John 16: 27 and 14: 21 make love the antecedent condition of
God’s and Christ’s love to the person, and that that goes with remission,
and is a love of reconciliation, and reconciliation comprehends remission. At
least you will never show out of Scripture that procuring God’s love,
and procuring remission and reconciliation have not the same conditions:
for hereby it is manifest, that love, even as distinct from faith (as
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it is in John 16: 26 –be cause ye loved me and have
believed that I am come out from God) is made as full and formal a
condition of reconciliation and pardon, and consequently of justification, as
faith is; Yea and that both faith and love are made conditions procuring
God’s pardon and reconciliation. Thus speaks Mr. Baxter against Mr. Cartwright,
page 202. But lest any should think, that either of these places cited should
prove what Mr. Baxter alleges them for, it would be considered: (1.) That in
John 14: 21 he is speaking of such as are already believers and justified, when
he is speaking of such as have already Christ’s commandments and keep them.
(2.) He speaks of the Father’s and of his own love of such, in the future time,
which cannot be meant of his disciples, unless we think, they were not yet
justified, contrary to the very foregoing verse, and many other passages in
that discourse, particularly chapter 14: 1, and 15: 3, 4, 5, 9. (3.) This is
meant of a love of manifestation; as Christ’s own words added exegetically
declare. And I will love him and will manifest myself unto him. (4.)
This same sort of expression of love is also to be understood of John 16, as
the whole scope clears, this being spoken to persuade them, that they should
receive the return of their prayers and should not ask the Father in vain; for
such a love carries he towards you (as if he had said) that, in a manner, I
need not intercede for you. (5.) And so the love of the disciples here
mentioned, is that love of complacency, which they had in Christ, in abiding
still in his company, and delighting in him, whom they had followed as their
Master, all along; and the cause from whence this flowed is added, and have
believed, that I came out from God.
As to
the second particular, purpose of obedience, Mr. Baxter in his Aphorisms
told us that as the accepting of Christ for Lord (which is the heart’s
subjection) is as essential a part of justifying faith, as accepting him for
Savior, so consequentially, sincere obedience (which is the effect of the
former) hath as much to do in justifying us before God, as (some) affiance,
which is the fruit of the latter. Hereby he would seem to give the same
interest unto actual obedience, in justification, that he gives unto affiance,
which cannot be wanting unto justifying faith, yea he himself confesses to be
an essential act of faith, in the margin of these words, printed with Mr.
Cartwright’s observations and his reply, page 204. But in his confession (as we
heard above) p. 89, 90, he puts as great a difference betwixt faith, and
evangelic obedience, as betwixt the consent to marriage relation, and the
conjugal fidelity and obedience of a wife to her husband: so that hereby it is
manifest, that with him, all obedience cannot be comprised in faith, and so
cannot be a condition with faith of justification: and this he says expressly,
page 90, So that I do no more (as I am accused) comprise all obedience in
faith, because I comprise a love to the Redeemer, and a consent to be governed
by him, than I comprise all conjugal obedience and fidelity of a woman to her
husband, in the marriage covenant or consent, because I comprise in it love to
the man and a covenant of fidelity and obedience to the future. His meaning
is not then, that actual obedience is either a part of faith, or hath the same
interest of a condition in justification, that faith hath. Therefore he tells
us more plainly and positively
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his meaning, as to this, Confess. page 38, 39, n. 22
This Covenant (says he, meaning the covenant that a believer enters with
Christ, as a Savior, and in him, with the offended majesty) contains an
engagement to future obedience: so that though our first faith be not the same
thing with obedience to Christ –yet in taking Christ for king, it essentially
contains a resolution and covenant to obey him. Hereby we see, that a resolution, promise, or covenant to obey Christ,
for the future, is essentially included in faith, as justifying, and
consequentially that this must be as kindly a part of the condition of justification,
as anything in faith. And next, that the ground of this is, because justifying
faith, as justifying, doth as kindly and really take Christ for king, as for
priest. This is further explained by what he says immediately before in n. 21. The
very nature of this saving faith, is to be a heart-covenanting of a sinner with
Christ, as a Savior, even as is a covenant of a woman to her husband, a soldier
to his commander, a subject to his prince, a scholar to his master, it is our
becoming his disciples.
By
which we see these things laid down, as truths to be received.
1. That
the soul covenanting with Christ, or accepting of him, as offered in the
Gospel, is like the covenanting of a woman with her husband, of a soldier with
his commander, a subject to his prince, &c.
2. That
as the woman, soldier, or subject, resolve, covenant and promise to perform
obedience unto the husband, commander, or king, so the sinner, in covenanting
with Christ, doth resolve, covenant and promise to perform obedience unto him.
3. That
therefore, this resolution, covenanting and promising to perform obedience,
being essential to justifying faith, is a formal condition of justification, and
the meaning of faith being a condition of justification must be this; the man’s
resolution, covenanting, and promise to perform obedience, is the condition of
justification; or at least this part of faith, as well as others, is the
condition.
4. And
the ground of this is, because justifying faith, even as justifying, or in
order to justification, acts as directly and expressly on Christ as King, as on
Christ as priest.
In
answer to which, I shall but briefly say these things.
1. The
similitudes adduced halt in one thing, and that one thing, is all, as to our
business. A woman covenanting with her husband, and thereby promising
obedience, or a soldier with his commander, or a subject with his prince,
presuppose and acknowledge, power and strength in themselves to perform the
obedience promised, and upon the supposition and conviction of this power and
ability in themselves to perform what shall be commanded, they willingly and of
their own accord, promise to put forth that power, strength and ability of
theirs, unto the performance of obedience, that shall be required. But it is
not so in our case, the sinner, who is now supposed to be about covenanting
with Christ, through the Spirit of conviction, and humiliation, is put far from
all his natural Pelagian conceits and apprehensions of himself, and of his own
abilities; he is now made to see, that as he hath nothing at present, wherewith
to satisfy God,
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for the sins that are charged upon him; nor to allure
Christ, to do for him; unless it be wretchedness and misery, that may move
Christ to compassion in his case, so he can do nothing for the future that can
be accepted of God, till he be renewed; He is made to see, that there is a
natural impotency (I mean not a physical impotency, as if he wanted a soul, or
faculties) in him to do anything that is good, and a pravity of will, whereby
it is impossible, that he can do anything, conformed to the will of God, until
he be regenerated, made willing by an omnipotent power, and have a new active
principle of life and grace, given unto him, or infused in him, by the Spirit
of Jesus.
2.
Whereupon, it is manifest, that a sinner in that plight (and in that condition
we must consider him to be, who is now seeking to be justified, and to be
delivered from the wrath of God for sin) in fleeing to Christ for refuge,
cannot be thought to be making any such promises, or having any such
resolutions, in order to his justification, and freedom from the curse of the
law. He, that is thoroughly convinced of his total impotence, will not think
(while he is under the power of these convictions) of making any engagements
for obedience in time to come: Yea, where any such things really were, it might
be feared, that the work of conviction was not keep enough; and that such, so
acting, would not receive Christ freely, as he is offered in the Gospel; but
rather came with a price in their hand, a parcel of fair promises for the
future, of doing that, which was not in their power. But it will possibly be
said that though there be no express and explicit engaging and promising here,
yet there cannot but be a virtual engaging; as in the making of marriage,
though the woman does not expressly promise obedience, yet her engagement is
included in her acceptance of the person. I answer: Let us suppose, that the
woman is every way as unable to obey her husband, as the sinner, not yet
converted, is to obey the commands of God; and that from her husband alone she
must receive that, whereby she shall become able: and then see, if her
consenting to the match formally includes, even virtually, her engagement to future
obedience. I do not suppose, by all this, that the believer is under no obligation,
or engagement to obedience. For as he hath received a principle of obedience, even
the new heart, the willing mind, and the renewed faculties, so he is under many
obligations, promises, vows and engagements explicit and virtual, to carry as devoted
unto God, in all obedience: but we are speaking here of a person, not yet out of
the state of nature, but being under the terrors of the Lord, and convictions of
guilt and misery, seeking after a relief, unto his present case, how he may be
freed from the curse of the Law, and put in a justified state, and in favor
with God.
3.
Hence, it is much to be doubted (however it be put beyond all doubt or dispute
with Mr. Baxter) whether faith, saving and justifying, includes essentially any
such formal engagement and resolution unto obedience; seeing the person, of
whom we are speaking, flees to Christ, for relief, as one, that is thoroughly
convinced of his own impotency, inability to do
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anything less or more for his own help, or for pleasing God.
This resolution unto new obedience is rather included in repentance (which is
distinct from faith, as we saw above) and so it is mentioned, in the
description of repentance, given in our Shorter Catechism.
4. But
it will be said, How then is Christ received by faith
as a king? I answer: Not to debate that here, which is to be spoke to
afterward, (whether justifying faith, while it is acing, in order to
justification, doth receive Christ, as a king?) for this is more properly the
question, whether a person under conviction of sin and wrath, and seeking for
pardon and acceptance in and through Christ, doth fix the eye of his soul upon
Christ as King, or as Priest? Or whether there is that in Christ, considered as
King, or considered as Priest, that is more suitable unto the present case of
the convinced sinner? Or whether, or not, the person, in the condition
mentioned, seeks relief rather from Christ, as a Priest, offering himself up,
as a sacrifice, giving his blood for a ransom to satisfy the justice of God for
sins: or as a king, endued with authority to subdue sin? And if the question
thus were proposed unto the experienced Christians, or unto the persons in such
a condition, it would, I suppose, receive a very quick answer. Unto the
question now proposed I say, that though it were granted that faith, in order
to the man’s justification, did act as well on Christ as King, as on Christ as
Priest, (which yet cannot be granted; as is already hinted, and shall be
cleared afterward) yet it would not follow, that this faith did essentially
include a resolution and engagement to future obedience: for it is not here, as
in persons receiving a person for their king, as was said already, whose
persons or subjects, have power and ability, and their will (as to these
things) in their own hand, and may therefore promise obedience, according as
the relation made up, formally engages unto. And yet, Mr. Baxter
, Ludiomaeus Colvin. § 15. says, This is but to consent to the relation, or to his Sovereignty,
that they may obey him, and love, honor and obedience come after. But if we
should suppose a company of men, lying bound in chains, in dungeons, under the
feet of cruel tyrants and enemies, and in that case receiving one for their
king; would their receiving of him for their king firstly and primarily import
a formal engagement, on their part, to obey him? I suppose, it would import
some other thing, anterior to that, to wit, their ready consent, that he, by
all the power and might he can make, shall loose their bands, and set them at
liberty, and put them in the case and condition of free subjects. Now the case
is so here with us, with advantage; for not only, are we in bands, and lying in
prison, and so unable to perform any obedience; but naturally, till a change be
made, we are utterly unwilling and averse from performing any acts of
obedience, though it were in our power, so that before we be in case to yield
obedience, the whole man must be renewed, judgment, will and affections. When, therefore,
we, in such a case, receive Christ, as our King, it is firstly and chiefly,
that he may make us willing in the day of his power; that he may make us his
subjects, willing and obedient, and ready to do his will; that he may loose our
bands, deliver us
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from the bondage and slavery of sin, bring us out of
captivity, and from under the power of Satan, and work in us both to will and
to do, according to his good pleasure. These are acts of Christ’s kingly power.
These are benefits that answer the present necessity of wakened souls. These
therefore must be the good things their souls must seek after, and for these
things must they go to him, as King, and in reference to these must they lay
hold on him: So that this is mainly implied in their receiving of Christ, as
King. In like manner, when they receive him as a prophet, they do not come unto
him as other students do their masters, bringing a capacity, a faculty, and an
engine with them for learning, without which all the Master’s pains in giving
instructions, and theirs in studying hard, will be in vain. But they come unto
him, in the thorough conviction of their blindness, incapacity to learn, want
of understanding to perceive the things of God, and to take up the mysteries of
the kingdom: that he may teach them, as never man taught, by giving them a
hearing ear, and an understanding heart, by opening their eyes, to see the
mysteries of God and of Christ; that he may so teach, as to write his laws in
their heart; cause their hearts to come to wisdom, and cause them to know the
way wherein they should walk. It is true, the receiving of Christ as King
includes also their obligation to own him as such, by
receiving his laws, subjecting unto his dispensations, &c. And the
receiving of him as prophet, includes their obligation to acknowledge him for
their only teacher, and to depend on him for their instruction: But yet I say, as
this speaks out no formal promise or engagement to actual obedience and actual
learning, but rather an engagement and resolution to be willing that he may act
the part of a prophet and of a king towards them, and so cause them carry and
look like students and subjects; so that the thing that is firstly and mainly
in their eye, in their coming to Christ, is that which suits their present
case, and answers their present felt necessity, and is a help to their present
pinch. What engagements may be laid upon them by these relations, or what
resolutions they may have, after they are renewed in the spirit of their minds,
and united unto Christ unto actual obedience, in the power and strength of the
Lord, is not to the present purpose, while we are speaking of what the soul
doth, in order to justification.
5.
Hence we see, how groundless it is to say, that a resolution to actual
obedience is a condition of justification: This we find no where required in
order to justification: This is no where called a condition of justification.
We are no where said to be justified by this resolution. This is inconsistent
with the frame of a poor wakened soul seeking justification. This would in part
make the gift of justification not free and of free grace, but to be of works,
or of a resolution for works; and so would give ground (in part at least) of
boasting and of glorying, contrary to the whole frame of the Gospel. And so
this would lessen the difference betwixt the Old Covenant of Works, and the New
Covenant of Grace.
Having
thus dispatched with the second particular, we come unto the third, to wit, to
enquire, whether perseverance be a condition of justification.
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And of this we need not speak much, seeing by what is
already said, it is apparent how false this is. Everything that is required of
such, as are believers, cannot be called a condition of justification. It is
said, that a condition suspends the obligation to bestow the benefit promised
upon condition, until it be performed. And so it will hence follow, that if
perseverance to the end be the condition of justification, no man can be
justified until he has persevered to the end; and so no man shall be justified
in this life; whereby an end is put to all our present debate, the subject
thereof being taken out of the way.
If it
be said, that faith is the condition of justification, as it endures to the
end, I answer: That this faith, which will endure to the end, is the condition,
I grant. But I deny that faith is the condition of justification, as it endures
to the end. We nowhere read of faith being the condition under this
reduplication, as enduring to the end; for then it would follow, that no lively
faith, how strong soever, could unite a soul to Christ, until it had endured to
the end, and no man upon his first believing, let his faith be never so lively
and strong, can be said to be justified, to have passed from death to life;
contrary to all Scripture. And this would too much assimilate the New Covenant
unto the Old, wherein Adam was to work out his days work to the end, ere he had
right to his wages. Yea and hence it would follow, that in this life, there
were none of the fruits of justification to be had, such as peace with God,
access to God, glorying in tribulations, joy and comfort, contrary to
experience, and the Scriptures. Romans 5: 1 – 5, 8: 35 to the end, Luke 7: 50,
Matthew 9: 2, II Thessalonians 2: 16, Hebrews 6: 18, 19, I Peter 1: 4.
So that
in a word, from what hath been said, it is evident, how little ground Mr. Baxter
hath to glory in this way of his, and though to an inadvertent person it may
appear plausible, what is adduced for a reason, yet when considered, it will be
found froth and a flourish of words: for be it so, that justifying faith
receives whole Christ (which we do not deny: for Christ is not divided: for as
there is but one faith, so but one Christ. And I will have occasion to speak
more fully to this matter afterward.) Yet what doth Mr. Baxter gain? Hath he
gained his pepper-corn of faith or Gospel obedience to be imputed unto us for
righteousness according to the new law (he should say, the new edition of the
old covenant, or rather the old covenant newly established?). No, by no means. For be it granted, that justifying faith as
such respects Christ equally as King and Prophet, as it doth him as Priest
(which yet I deny, and shall, without dividing Christ, make it appear.) I ask
him, how doth it receive Christ Jesus the Lord? Surely he cannot but say, as he
is offered in the Gospel; well then, the Lord, who knows what we are, offers
him to us, and makes him to us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and
redemption, so that God in the offer of his Christ as a King, looks upon the sinner in the same capacity to
obey him, as in the offer of him as a Priest, he is to pay his debt, and that
is not only in no capacity, but as opposite to such a thing of himself. Hence
it is evident that faith receives Christ as a King not by promising or
purposing to obey him, but from a conviction
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of it own aversion to purpose to please God, that he
by his Kingly power shall kill the enmity, conquer the soul, bring it to
purpose, as well as practice, work in it to will as well as to do, cast down
imaginations that exalt themselves against the knowledge of God, and bring
every thought in captivity to his obedience, so when faith acts on him as a
Prophet, there is in this act neither purpose nor promise to obey him as a
teacher, &c. But from a conviction that the mind is not only void of light,
but it is prepossessed with corrupt principles, so that the man that hath
nothing but the soul of a man, takes up the whole Gospel mystery as
foolishness. And it is impossible for him, to know these things, since they
must be spiritually discerned. I say from this conviction he receives Christ as
his wisdom, as he that shall give him an understanding, to know him that is
true; and to make him that is not only as a beast, but so much worse, that his
light is darkness, of a quick understanding in the fear of the Lord, and wise to
salvation. Now this exactly answers the sinner’s need, and hath all his wants
made up by Jesus Christ according to his riches in glory, and God’s end in
making his Christ to poor sinners wisdom, righteousness, &c. that so he,
who glories may glory in the Lord. Now if Mr. Baxter will consider this, he
will even lay aside his peppercorn as of no price; for here all is without
money and without price to the poor soul, &c. and he is considered as a
receiver of all from Christ.