Casuistical morning-exercises the fourth volume /

Reason 1 (1.) It will appear that Holiness is no Cause of our Justification: It did neither move God when foreseen to choose us, or when actually existing to justify us.¹

Reason 1 (1.) It will appear that Holiness is no Cause of our Justification: It did neither move God when foreseen to choose us, or when actually existing to justifie us.¹

1. 1Mercy is only from something in God.

1. For all God's Works of Mercy arise from something in God himself, who is the fountain of Mercy, or of living waters; and Judgments are said to be his strange Work, because he never proceeds to them but when he is necessitated to vindicate the Glory of his injured Attributes; that is,¹ the cause of all God's severities is out of himself, and only to be found in the provocations of his Creatures. The Cause of all his Mercies are his own Bowels and Compassions, and wholly in and from himself: O Israel, ²thy destruction is from thy self, but in me is thy help: Nay, when God says unto the Soul, Live, ³he sees it in its Blood; and it remains in its Blood, until he says unto it, Live: for in the Apostles Phrase,⁴ he justifies the ungodly and the sinners; that is, God does for Christ's sake discharge and acquit Sinners who flee unto him, and desire Pardon and Acceptance through the Blood of his Son, The Lamb of God that thus taketh away the sin of the World.