Serm. i :. Aflurance 1.t' pofstble. 281 It is fpoken primarily of Gods providential difi:enfations, towards his Church in Gofpel times ; For a while the (hould live in Cr lo in twilight : in a mix: condition of light and darks efs, corrfort and atrliction ; like a man in a milly mornirg, that neither walLeth in the dark, nor yet bath the light clear to fee far before him ; like Paid and the M.irriners that faw neither Sun nor Scars for many'daies, (o) a , fo might it be with aparticular perfon, in reference to his fpirirual t'4' 12' condition. By this you fee, Firfl, We make a difference betwixt faving faith eu fuch, and a full perfwafion of theheart'. Secondly, That fome of chofe that íhall be certainly faved, might not be certain that they (hall be faved; for the promife is made to the graceof faith, andnot to the evidence of ir. To Faith as true,and not as flrong ; they may be fure of heaven, and yet in their own fenfe, not allured of heaven. As an Infant may be born to a great e(late, and have a certain title to it, but yet he might not know ir, or make it out to himfelf or others. So that the Qieiiion is not de certitudine ob- jelli, of the certainty of Salvation, but de certitudinefoibje5i, of the ap- prehenfron, fenfe, and knowledge of the believing perfon, concerning his falvation. 3. Poftion. 3. That a believer maynot only in the general,gather from the word p Mat.8. r r; of God (p); from thedeath of Chrifl (q), from the gloriouspreparation ' s 34 God bath made (r), that many (hall be infallibly brought to glory, but q MÌ ec°.48 . alío that he inparticular, (hall be one of them. This muff have itsproof after; I therefore now patson. fBdllarrrüa... de 4. Poftion. B.wotifr»o.7oin. 4. That we are not to ex^e& any voyce fromHeaven, or Gods lend- 3.lib.; rap. 25, in° of an Angel, or extraordinary revelation, to make us to know that Z 6,2;7 "'`nt - b a onet!i an,Ce- we do believe, or fhall be faved, but to make ufe of chofe helps, an,i remonies about means appointed by Gods common to all believers, but yet fuflïcient Baptifin, Exor for the obtaining of this particular Affurance. This I put in, hecaufe c.fm, Sál,Spit- the Papifls grant it may be got by extraordinary revelation, but not tle,Crofs, ±tn- elfe ; As it is their wicked raclife to keep the people moll ignorant pion, waX-ita p p p p lighted, in of chofe things, of which they fhould have moil knowledge, that token that die following themwith an implicite faith,and blind obedience,might no baptized perfon fcruple at their Humane Traditions, and unwarrantable, and many is tranibted CO ridiculous Innovations, that have crept in amongfl them, fo they foin the power keep themmoll doubtful where they flaouid be mofi lure, and fo the of `o light, P Y r unto t' 6-c., N 2 2 cotcnfel
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