A26951:870
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 5: Directions how to live by Faith upon Gods Promises.
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.
It is presumption, and not faith, for an impenitent person to expect the benefit of those Promises, which belong to the penitent only: And so it is for him that forgiveth not others, ⟨p. 255⟩to expect to be forgiven his particular sins: And so in all the rest of the Promises.
Direct. 25. But be sure that you ascribe no more to your selves, for performing any condition of a Promise, than God doth.
A condition as such is no cause at all of the performance of the Promise; either natural or moral: only the non-performance of the condition is a cause of the non-performance of the Promise: For the true nature of a condition as such, is only to suspend the benefit. Though naturally a condition may be meritorious among men; and for their own commodity (which God is not capable of) they ordinarily make only meritorious acts to be conditions: As God also doth only such acts as are pleasing to him, and suited to their proper ends. But this is nothing to a condition formally, which is but to suspend the benefit till it be done.
A condition as such is no cause at all of the performance of the Promise; either natural or moral: only the non-performance of the condition is a cause of the non-performance of the Promise: For the true nature of a condition as such, is only to suspend the ben•fit. Though naturally a condition may be meritorious among men; and for their own commodity (which God is not capable of) they ordinarily make only meritorious acts to be conditions: As God also doth only such acts as are pleasing to him, and suited to their proper ends. But this is nothing to a condition formally, which is but to suspend the benefit till it be done.