r?o. Chap. t. ACon mentarie vpo,v the fenfe or feelingof fpiritual .ioy,and fucli 1tke.Againe,it may be buried for a nine in the heart , and not thew it (èf'c1either b y fruits,or any profefon . and in refpeft ofthemeaf re ofit,it may be leflènedand maimed:and ifwerefpeel the natureof it, it is as apt to be1of$,as any other grace ofGod: for there is no- thingby nature vnchangeable,biatGod. Neuertlreleffe,where this faith is in trueth,it is neuer byaffl:Ciion and temptation put out or ex1tingniflhed : becaufc Cod in mercie confirms it , by newe gracc.Chrifl faith to Peter , 1hakeprayedfor thee,that shy f4ithf4:le net,Luk.z z. 3 2. And thispriuiledge haue all the god. l ,for God prornifeth that they /hall not btemple( aóo, e their lrength, s .Cor.to. i 3. Irìdèede, perfecutcrs arc faid- to defEroy the faith:becaufe this is theirintent,and they icdeauour to doe what they can , but Godpreuents their defires, by effablifhing true faith;that it maynot vtterly faile. It may be obieeted to the contrarie, on this manner. The child of Godmay fail into perfecution,and denie Chriff : by this fall,he is guiltie of a grieuous offence : beeing guiltie,fie hath not pardonofhis offence:and beeing without pardon, he iswithout faith.Touching guiltineffe,I anfwer thus. The child ofGod,whcn he falls,is indeed guiltie:buthowe: Guiltic in re- fpe& of himfelfe , or as much as inhim lies: becaufc he hash done that which is worthy of death , and he bath done all he can to make himfclfe guiltie. But he is not guiltie to condcm- r%ation,becaufe Godon his part, death not breakeoffthe pur- pofe ofadoption,and adiudge him to wrath. Secondly,touching thepardon of his ofence,l anfwer thus. Inpardon there be foure degrees: the degreeofpardonbefore all worlds : the promife ofpardon in the beginning of the worde,Thefeedofthesvonrtn,&c.The procurement ofpardon upon thecroffe:and the donation, or thegluing ofthe pardon. This donation is an actionofGod,whereby he glues and cow - municates Chrif}veto vs, and applies to our confciences the remifflota ofour finnes. In this donation , there is required a hand to giue,and a hand to receiue.Thehand of God,whereby he giues;is the word preached,and the facraments: the hand tei receiue,is our faith. The gluing ofpardon is neccffaric : for thoughfnnes be pardoned, in the decreeofGod,by his pro. mite in the word,andbyprocurement vpon the croffe:yetpar- don,is no pardon tovs,till it begiuen unto vs by God. Fur-. therm®re, ,
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