A27017:369
The Saints' Everlasting Rest
The saints everlasting rest, or, A treatise of the blessed state of the saints in their enjoyment of God in glory wherein is showed its excellency and certainty, the misery of those that lose it, the way to attain it, and assurance of it, and how to live in the continual delightful forecasts of it and now published by Richard Baxter ...The saints everlasting rest, or, A treatise of the blessed state of the saints in their enjoyment of God in glory wherein is shewed its excellency and certainty, the misery of those that lose it, the way to attain it, and assurance of it, and how to live in the continual delightful forecasts of it and now published by Richard Baxter ...
London: printed by Rob. White for Thomas Underhil and Francis Tyton, 1650
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.
All which doth also warrant, my putting of▪ this Renewing work of the spirit in the first place; and placing Sanctification (in the sense before explained) before justification. The Apostle placeth clearly vocation before justification, Rom. 8.30. Which vocation I have showed, is the same thing in a metaphorical term, with this first Sanctification or Regeneration: Though I know the stream of Interpreters do in explaining that Text, make Sanctification to be included in Glorification; when yet they can show no real difference between it, and effectual vocation before-named. ⟨p. 142⟩Certainly if Sanctification precede faith, and faith precede Justification, then Sanctification must needs precede Justification: But if we may call that work of the spirit which infuseth the principle of life, or holiness, into the soul, [Sanctification;] then sanctification must needs go before faith.1 For faith in the habit is part of that principle, and faith in the act is a fruit of it: Gods order is clearly set down in Acts 26.18. He first opens mens eyes, and turns them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, (and if they be yet unholy, I know not what holiness is,) that they may receive remission of sins (there's their Justification) and inheritance among the sanctified (that which before was called, opening their eyes, and turning them is here called Sanctifying) by faith that is in me: (the words [by Faith] is related to the Receiving of Remission of Sins and the Inheritance, but not to the word, [Sanctified]) so also 2 Thes. 2.13. God hath before chosen you to salvation, through sanctification of the spirit unto obedience (obeying the Gospel is faith) and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ,2 (there's Justification) so that you see, to make faith precede sanctification, and to bring in the habits of all other graces; and for Justification to go between faith and them, is quite against the Scripture order. Indeed if Grevinchovius say true that there's no Habits infused, and the spirit work only (as the Arminians affirm) by an internal and external Suasion, and no real physical alteration, or infusing of new powers and habits, then all this must be otherwise ordered