toteching the pronaifes ofpardonand f rgivenefe, &c. 219 grace, oran a&ofexperience in a (inner now fuflified by faith.Forgivenef è of lins in and through Chrifl is offered in the Gofpell, - toevery burdened and weary foulethat will receive ir,as the ground of faith; vouchfafèd toevery one that believeth; but pardon of fin is apprehended; as alreadygranted, when we come to beaffured that we doe believe.Faith in order ofnature is precedent to Jolli- fication, . but Jollification it felfe goeth before the fence thereof. As faith obtaineth andreceived: the promifeof fpeciall mercy, it dothrnot find us Juft whenwebegin ro believe, hut makethus Juft by embracing the Righteouf- neffe ofChrifl ; as it certified: and affurethof favour; it doth not ac`ìively Juflifie, but findeth the thing done al. ready. Faith affureth of the pardon of (inne by adouble a& Firft, it Iayethhold upon the generall promifes made to Believers,fuch as thefè; flee that believeth fha!1be laved Ty every one that believeth is joflifled ; He that belie- veth hatheverlafing life.Secondly,itconcludesundoubted -. ly from them, That he believing is already received into favour, and bath obtained remiffion offinnes. Now be- twixt thefe two comes the teflimony of the renewed Confcience,working upon thefoule by reflec`kion,where- by the true Believer is made privie to his owneeflate,and allured that he Both believe. The whole is colleted thus ; He that believeth in Chrift is already Justified, or bath received pardon and forgiveneffe : This is the voice of faith, grounding it felfe upon the expreffe teflimony of God fpeaking in holy Scripture. But I believe : This is the witneffeofthe renewed confcience, enlightened by the Spirit,anddirec4ed by theWord ; whereby theBelie- ver comes to knowwhat Godbathwrought in him. For no man canbe faid to Believe that hedoth Believe; but hebelieveth thepromifes by faith, andknoweth himfelfe tobe aBeliever, by the witneffe of his Confcience re- newed by the Spirit. The conclufionof faith, grounded upon the former propoitions, the. one exprefied,inScrip- ture, Ioh,;,18. Aas 1349. john 3.36. i Cona: y i.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=