A26951:353
The life of faith in three parts, the first is a sermon on Heb.…
The life of faith in three parts, the first is a sermon on Heb. 11, 1, formerly preached before His Majesty, and published by his command, with another added for the fuller application : the second is instructions for confirming believers in the Christian faith : the third is directions how to live by faith, or how to exercise it upon all occasions / by Richard Baxter.
London: printed by R.W. for Nevil Simmons, 1670
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.
7. To that end the great work of Jesus Christ is, to send down the sanctifying Spirit of God, to make men new creatures, and to regenerate them to the Nature of God himself, and to a heavenly mind and life: That they may not only have precepts which are good, but the power of God to make them good, and a heavenly principle to fit them for Heaven.
8. To that end, the principal means is, the fullest revelation of the love of God to man, that ever was made, and more than is any where else revealed. All the design of Christianity ⟨p. 110⟩is but to show God to man, in the fullest prospect of his Goodness and unmeasurable Love, that so he may appear more amiable to us; and may be more beloved by us; that Loving Goodness may make us good, and make us happy.
8. To that end, the principal means is, the fullest revelation of the love of God to man, that ever was made, and more than is any where else revealed. All the design of Christianity ⟨p. 110⟩is but to shew God to man, in the fullest prospect of his Goodness and unmeasurable Love, that so he may appear more amiable to us; and may be more beloved by us; that Loving Goodness may make us good, and make us happy.
9. To encourage us to Love and Goodness, God doth in the Gospel give us the pardon of all our sins, as soon as ever we turn to him by Faith and Repentance: Though we have deserved Hell, he declareth that he will forgive us that desert. If we had come to Hell before we had been redeemed, I think we should have taken that Religion to be good indeed, which would have brought us the tidings of forgiveness, and showed us so ready a way to escape.