The Gospel Mystery of Sanctification - Part Three

Extract

The Gospel Mystery of Sanctification
Walter Marshall

Contents
Direction 6……………………………………………………1
Direction 7…………………………………………………..25

Direction 6

Those that endeavour to perform sincere obedience to all commands of Christ, as the condition whereby they are to procure for themselves a right and title to salvation, and a good ground to trust on him for the same, do seek their salvation by the works of the law, and not by the Faith of Christ, as he is revealed in the gospel: and they shall never be able to perform sincere and true holy obedience by all such endeavours.

Explication

For the understanding the terms of this direction, note here, that I take salvation as comprehending justification, as well as other saving benefits: and sincere obedience as comprehending holy resolutions, as well as the fulfilling them. The most of men, that have any sense of religion, are prone to imagine, that the sure way to establish the practice of holiness and righteousness, is to make it the procuring condition of the favour of God, and all happiness. This may appear by the various false religions that have prevailed most in the world. In this way the heathens were brought to their best devotion and morality, by the knowledge of the judgment, of God, that those that violate several of the great duties to God and their neighbour, are worthy of death; and by their consciences accusing or excusing them, according to the practice of them, (Rom. 1:32. and 2:14, 15). Our consciences are informed by the common light of natural reason, that it is just with God to require us to perform those duties, that we may avoid his wrath, and enjoy his favour. And we cannot find any better way than this to obtain happiness, or to stir up ourselves to duty, without divine revelation. Yet, because our own consciences …