Baxter - Houston-Packer Collection BT70 .B397 1675

and eV.l'oral Works. iii that they may avoid it. 4. And yet it provideth a certainty ofperfe. veraneeand salvation, for firong chriflians who are (and perhaps they only)fitfor it and capable of it. 5. And it tendeth thereby to make men long for, and preis towards a ftrong confirmed Elate. I only fay that if this Doetrine be or were true, it hath or would have thefecon-. veniencier. 331. And I will boldly fay, that (asI before Paid, The ìreal¿efi Chri- fitter arenot ordinarily capable of prefent certainty of Salvation, fo) thewea/¿efl or wor i fort of true Chriflians , are morally unfit for it. r. He that f nneth as much as ever will Eland with Grace, and asever he dare for fear of lofing all, is under fogreat obligations and neceffity to be humbled, to fear, to be penitent and deeply fenfible of his great ingratitude that he is not fit for the joyof AffuranceofSalvation; and therefore not fit for affnrance it Pelf: He that is certain to befaved, muff rationally be full ofyoy; which is unfeafonable to one that muff lye in the tears of deep humiliation. 2, And fúch a one that loveth God and Chrift, and Goodnefs, in the weakefl meafere confiffent with Sal- vation, muff have all other Graces and comforts proportioned hereto; orelfe therewill bea monlfrous inequality : But certainty of Salvation is a degreeof applicator, Hope, quite above that very little Faith, and Love, and obedience of fuch a one. 3. And this certainty muff be the effe& and produfl of other Graces (Faith andLove, &c.) And a feeble Canf will not bring forth aneffes fomuchfirongerthan it felt. 4. Gods Wifdom in. Government will not encourage even a child ; in fits of contempt, negle&s or difobedience by loch Affurance. How canhe more Reward and Encourage the befl ? And if every true Chr /ianfhould have certainty of Salvation, when he tinneth as fouly, as frequently, as grofly, and liveth as flothfully as ever will Eland with fincerity , it would tempt fuch to go on in Sin , and be no better. ;. God hath his caffigatory punifhments for finful Children : Even to death it felffometimes; and much defertion. And who fhould have fuch corre&ions, but themorii of his Children ? But the certainty of their their salvation, ufeth not to fuit with fuch corre&ionand defertion ; or at leafl is forfeited in fuch a cafe. Laffly, experience telleth us, that it is not' Gods will that the worff of his Children (no nor any but the better fort) fhould have fuch Affurance : For, s. De fallo they have it not. 2. And in the nature of the thing it is quite out of their reach. SECT. XXIII. end-ore neceffary Conceffìons. 332. But yet all this is not enough to prove that any of the kith- fled do totally or finally fall away. The controverfie muff not be decided by arguments from convenience , but by Scripture affertion i where the difficulty is very great, becaufe no fmal! number of Texts teem tofavour both the opinions, the reconciling ofwhich is not the work of every ordinary underflanding. Thole that are brought for thecertain-Perfeverance of all the jutlifiedmay be teen in Zanchy's Dif putes with Marbachius, (the firff hot and high agitationof thiscontra- verfie as a matter of great moment and neceffary determination Q. which

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