Of god's government, all fuch have prophetical Infpiration : For the Spirit tobring any hen: word fromGod is one thing, and togive us the Vnderftanding Love and Obedience to fuch a Word is anotherthing. TheSpirit doth indeed affure us of our fincerity, but not by a new Word from God to tell us fo ; but i. By giving us that fincereFaith it felf. 2. By ading it and increafing it. 3. By helping us to know it. 4. By giving us the love of God, and other Graces. g. By giving us the comfort of all. But the reception and perception of thefe internal Operations, is not pro- perly called a Belief of the Word of God. Elfe when we make Gods Word the adequate Obje& of Faith, we !hall be ftill at an uncertainty what that Word is 240. Yet this perfwafon, that we are fincere and jullified is divine, where the spirit caufeth it; but not adivine Faith. Yea it is participa- * Of this feeAlbertisu's tively ofdivine Faith, becaufe Gods Word is one ofthe premifes, though Diyp. at large. theweaker muff denominate theconclufion. * 241. Obj. A Reprobate or Devil may believe all the Articles of Faith without application : but juftifying Faith applieth Chrifi andhis benefits to our felves. Anf. It's true: But this application is not a certainty, nor a perfwa(ion, nor a believing that Iamjufifed, no more than that I am glorified, no nor thatI !hall befo neither : But it is an accepting ofChrifi offered that I maybe juftified and faved. So that here are all thefe ap- plyingas in it. I. I believe that Chrilt as the Saviour of the World, is mySaviour as he is all other mens, and is not the Devils ; that is, that fiehath done thatfor me whichhe hash done for all mankind. 2. I be- lieve that he is offered to me perfonally in the Promife or Covenant of Grace, on condition of believing-acceptance; and that withand for all his purchafed benefits, and fofor my Juftification. 3. I believe that if Ifo accept him, I (hall be juftified. 4. By trueconfent I do accordingly accept him to juftifie, fanctifie and fave me. But when all this is done, r. I donot believe that God bath faid in his word that i am jufti- fied, nor that my Faith is fincere. 2. And my Faith is fo weak, that I may long doubt of that fincerity which I have, and foof my Juftifica- tion. 3. And when I come to be certain of my Faith, it is not by be- lievingGod, as Paying, that Idocertainly believe; but by experience of its fincerity,upon juft trial, bythe spirits help. 242. Noman can be fure that his Faith is fincere and faving, who is not allured that it will help him to love God as God above all ( yea al- ready doth fo) and that it mortifieth felfi(hnefs, and will prevail with himto deny even life it felf , and all the world, for Chrift and Salva- tion. So far as a man doubteth of any of this, hemull needsdoubt of his own fincerity. 243. So weak is Faith in molt that are fincere, and fo little kept in exercife, and foftrong is fenfe, and felf, and flefh, and worldly baits and intereft, and Satan's temptations, that in my experience ( whohave converfed with as many that are careful of their Souls as molt have done Ithink) it is avery (mall number that I could ever hear fay, Iam certain ofmy juftification and salvation ; But a great number who have lived in holy confidence, hope and peace, and force in great joy, but molt in tollerable fears and doubting, and force few oppreffed by thole doubts. So that certainty ofSalvation is very rare. 244. WhenBellarmine faith, that our affurance more belongeth to Hopethan Faith, and that it is but moral certainty by figes that we have ofour Juftification, Sincerity and Salvation, he fo little differeth from the fenfe of almoft all godly Proteflants, that were it not throughother diffances,
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