A26915:273
Directions and persuasions to a sound conversion for prevention of that deceit and damnation…Directions and perswasions to a sound conversion for prevention of that deceit and damnation…
Directions and persuasions to a sound conversion for prevention of that deceit and damnation of souls, and of those scandals, heresies, and desperate apostasies that are the consequents of a counterfeit, or superficial change / by Richard Baxter.Directions and perswasions to a sound conversion for prevention of that deceit and damnation of souls, and of those scandals, heresies, and desperate apostasies that are the consequents of a counterfeit, or superficial change / by Richard Baxter.
London: printed by A.M. for Nevil Simmons, 1658
Directions to Sinners that are purposed to Turn, and are under the… › Direction 5
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.
4. The fourth point to be understood concerning our Redemption, is, The Nature and worth of the Benefits that are procured for us. Which though you may gather much from what is said, and the full handling of them, would be a larger work, then is suitable to my present Ends, yet such a brief recital I shall here give you, as my Ends require.
In General, we have All from Jesus the Mediator that is worth the having; even all the blessings of this present life, and of the life to come. As we lost our Right to all by sin, so we have our restored Right by Christ alone, who came to destroy sin, and its effects. Had not he interposed, we might have had materially life, and natural faculties, ⟨p. 242⟩and other things which now are Mercies; but not as Mercies, but as the requisites to our deserved punishment: Even as the Devils have their Being, and natural perfections to sustain them in their sufferings. Nature it self, so far as Good, and all Natural blessings, are now of Grace: And that not only of such Grace as they were to Adam, which was Mercy without proper Merit: but of Gospel Grace procured by Christ; which is Mercy contrary to Merit. It is no sounder Doctrine to say, that God doth without the Merit of his Son bestow our common forfeited Mercies, either on the Elect, or others, then that he giveth us his Saving grace without it. As all things are delivered into the hands of Christ, Joh. 13. 3. So none can receive any good but from his hands. To give Mercies to men that forfeit them, and discern misery, is so far to pardon their sin; for to remit the sin, is to remit the punishment: But the Scripture is not acquainted with any pardon of sin, but what is on the account of the Merits of Christ. They that deny this Mercy of God, in giving even to the ungodly such a measure of forgiveness, do speak ⟨p. 243⟩against the daily, and hourly experience of all the world; and therefore need no other confutation.