2. Now a po•r Sinner being, brought thus to the Foot of Christ, the first Step, or Gradation he makes in ascending on this Ladder,1 is to believe ⟨p. 21⟩in Christ; to venture his Soul upon him alone; to trust on him, on his Righteousness,2 And on the Merits of his Blood for Justification, &c. He that firmly, and savingly Believes in Christ, may be said to set his Foot on this Ladder, to ascend. Some Men do not begin […]; they would be at the top of the Ladder,3 before they have se• their Feet on the first Round of it; because all that shall be Saved are Elected & they begin there, and hence think; if they •are Elected, tho' they are not called, but are in their Sins, they are Justified, Pardoned, and in as good Estate, as the best Believer in the World. But this is a great Mistake, the Decree of Election, without the Execution of it, puts nothing into actual Existence: God Decreed from all Eternity to create the World, but the World was not therefore from Eternity actually Created.4 No more are any of the Elect actually Justified, and in a State of Life, until by the Spirit,5 they are united to him and so Believe. 6A Man cannot be Dead and Alive at one and the same time: Or, be Condemned and Justified; or be a Child of the Devil, and yet a Child of God. Grace makes a Relative, as well as a Real change all one and the same time; the first Step a Per•on takes, I say, towards, Heaven, [pray observe it,]7 is to Believe in Christ; and that a Sinner, before he doth Believe, is brought to the Foot of Christ: i. e. He sees himself Lost and Undone in the first Adam, and till then under Wrath.
2. Now a po•r Sinner being, brought thus to the Foot of Christ, the first Step, or Gradation he makes in ascending on this Ladder,1 is to believe ⟨p. 21⟩in Christ; to venture his Soul upon him alone; to trust on him, on his Righteousness,2 And on the Merits of his Blood for Justification, &c. He that firmly, and savingly Believes in Christ, may be said to set his Foot on this Ladder, to ascend. Some Men do not begin 〈…〉; they would be at the top of the Ladder,3 before they have se• •their Feet on the first Round of it; because all that shall be Saved are Elected & they begin there, and hence think; if they •are Elected, tho' they are not called, but are in their Sins, they are Justified, Pardoned, and in as good Estate, as the best Believer in the World. But this is a great Mistake, the Decree of Election, without the Execution of it, puts nothing into actual Existence: God Decreed from all Eternity to create the World, but the World was not therefore from Eternity actually Created.4 No more are any of the Elect actually Justified, and in a State of Life, until by the Spirit,5 they are united to him and so Believe. 6A Man cannot be Dead and Alive at one and the same time: Or, be Condemned and Justified; or be a Child of the Devil, and yet a Child of God. Grace makes a Relative, as well as a Real change all one and the same time; the first Step a Per•on takes, I say, towards, Heaven, [pray observe it,]7 is to Believe in Christ; and that a Sinner, before he doth Believe, is brought to the Foot of Christ: i. e. He sees himself Lost and Undone in the first Adam, and till then under Wrath.
- 1[…] •.31.〈…〉 •.31.
- 2• Joh▪ 3.3•• Ioh▪ 3.3•
- 3Some wo•ld begin at the Top of the Ladder.
- 4Ephes, 2, 3.
- 5Joh. 3, 18.
- 62 Cor. 5.17
- 7☞
