A26951:702
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
Part 3 › Chapter 3: Directions to live by Faith on the Holy Ghost.
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.
Direct. 11. And Faith in Christ is oft placed as before it, not as if the Spirit were no cause of Faith, nor as if Faith were no part of our saving special grace; nor as if any had saving Faith before they had Love to God; but because as Christ is the Mediator and way to the Father; so Faith in him is but a mediate grace to bring us up to the Love of God, which is the final perfective grace: And because, though they are inseparably complicate, yet some acts of Faith go before our special Love to God in order of nature, though some others follow after it, or go with it.
Direct. 11. And Faith in Christ is oft placed as before it, not as if the Spirit were no cause of Faith, nor as if Faith were no part of our saving special grace; nor as if any had saving Faith before they had Love to God; but because as Christ is the Mediatour and way to the Father; so Faith in him is but a mediate grace to bring us up to the Love of God, which is the final perfective grace: And because, though they are inseparably complicate, yet some acts of Faith go before our special Love to God in order of nature, though some others follow after it, or go with it.
It is a question which seemeth very difficult to many, whether Love to God, or Faith in Christ must go first (whether in time or order of nature.) For if we say that Faith in Christ must go first, then it seemeth that we take not Faith or Christ as a Means to bring us to God as our End; for our End is Deus amatus, God as beloved; and to make God our End, and to love him, are inseparable. We first love the good which appeareth to us, and then we choose and use the Means to attain it; and in so doing we make that our End which we did love; so that it is the first loved for it self, and then made our End. Now if Christ be not used as a Means to God, or as our Ultimate End, then he is not believed in, or used as Christ, and therefore it is ⟨p. 218⟩no true Faith: And that which hath not the true End, is not the true act or grace in question, nor can that be any special grace at all, which hath not God for his Ultimate End: On both which accounts, it can be no true Faith: The intentio finis, being before the choice or use of means, though the assecution be after.