A25294:752
The substance of Christian religion, or, A plain and easy draught of the Christian…The substance of Christian religion, or, A plain and easie draught of the Christian…
The substance of Christian religion, or, A plain and easy draught of the Christian catechism in LII lectures on chosen texts of Scripture, for each Lords-day of the year, learnedly and perspicuously illustrated with doctrines, reasons, and uses / by that reverend and worthy labourer in the Lord's vineyard, William Ames ...The substance of Christian religion, or, A plain and easie draught of the Christian catechisme in LII lectures on chosen texts of Scripture, for each Lords-day of the year, learnedly and perspicuously illustrated with doctrines, reasons, and uses / by that reverend and worthy laborer in the Lord's vineyard, William Ames ...
London: printed by T. Mabb for Thomas Davies, 1659
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
2. That perfection which they have in reference to the Holy Spirit, doth not redound properly unto our meriting or deserving by them, because the holy Ghost is no ways united unto us, into one person, which is the only ground, why the works of Christ had a divine merit and worth in them; namely, because they were divine works, as being his, that was, as man personally united unto the God-head and person of the Son, so as they made but one person. The Holy Spirit, then though he be the principal cause of our good works, yet this is in its own manner, as an external efficient, as having no personal union with the party working.
2. That perfection which they have in reference to the Holy Spirit, doth not redound properly unto our meriting or deserving by them, because the holy Ghost is no wayes united unto us, into one person, which is the onely ground, why the works of Christ had a divine merit and worth in them; namely, because they were divine workes, as being his, that was, as man personally united unto the God-head and person of the Son, so as they made but one person. The Holy Spirit, then though he be the principal cause of our good works, yet this is in its own manner, as an external efficient, as having no personal union with the party working.
Object. 2. Our reward is given according to our works.
Ans. That reward is not of our merit, but of God's free grace and favour. For there is a reward of servants and a reward of sons; the reward of servants looks not to the person, but to the merit, or desert of the work; but the reward of sons look• ⟨p. 164⟩at the person chiefly▪ and so is given of grace and good will to the person of the worker, more than to the merit of the work. For the Father in his Son crowns that with reward, which in it self deserves no such thing for the most part: Otherwayes he were unjust not to reward it so in servants likewise.