Baxter - Houston-Packer Collection BT70 .B397 1675

210 Of merfèverance: thatrepenteth and believeth that fhall be faved. And to be Pure that ä man is fan&ified, andnot tobe Cure that he hath the Gracesof Sanétifi- cation, is a contradiction; to be fure and not fort of the fame thing. And to fay youare fureof Heaven without Holinefs; is to fay that you are lure that Gods Word is falfe. C. "But the witnefs of the Spirit certifreth us of all. B. True : Andwhat is that ? As your Reafon witneffeth or eviden- ceth that you are aman, andyour Life witneffeth that you are an Ani- mal, fo theSpirit witneffeth that you are one of Chrifts ; that is, the . fan&ifying, illuminating, quickeningworkofthe Spirit : For the Having of theSpirit is your witnefs : And to have thespirit is to have Holinefs, which is his' work; which altothe Spirit, to compleat his witnefs; help- ethus both toAí1, increafe, difcern, and take comfort in. Q. 5. And I next then askyou, whether he that will have certainty of Salvation, mutt not alto have (beyond a ftrongopinion) a certainty that this Dollrine of certain perfeverance is true? C. " Tes :. No doubt of it. B. And are the generalityof Profefforscertainof it, when not only the Greeksand Romans, but alto all the Lutheran; and Arminian, and molt Anabaptifis utterly deny it ? I grant that men may be confident in theopinion which they are educated or faininto. But are the unlearned certain, when me ofthe Learned are confident of the contrary? Fol- lowing our Leaders eagerly is not certainty. C. " It'sgrantedyou. B. Q. 6. I ask then, feeing.fo exceeding few ofyour own fide are truly certainof their Salvation whonever receive the Arminiansopi- nion, whether that be it that hindereth their certainty? II.And now let us try inwhat Meafure their Do&rinehindrethcomfort? Q. a. Do younot think that manyofthofe ofyourownfide havemuch comfort though they attain not toaffurance. C. Yes : Experience tells it us. B. Q2. Do you not think that fome, yea many ofthe oldChriftians for a thoufandyears after Chrift, had comfort, who yet were not ofyour opinionof Perfeverance? All theMartyrs and great Sufferers for Chrift, and the excellent Paftors, werenot comfortlefs. C. "That cannot bedenyed. B. Q. Doyou think that noneof the NationsofGreeks, Armineans, Lutherans, nor any of the Anabapts of their mind, do live in the comfortable hopes ofHeaven ? C. Yes, No doubt but many do. B. Why then you fee that comfort may be had withoutcertainty of Salvation. But I proceed to the Natureof theCafe it fell. Q. q.. Would not your life be uncomfortable if you fore-knew that youfhould commit Murther; Adultery, Meet, deny Chrift, 6.c. kill your own Father, Mother, Wife or Child; and lyeas long asDavid did in your Sin; (much more to fin as Solomon did) ? C. "Yes 5 Imull needs be lefecomfortable infuch a profpeli. B. Q5. Would it not much grieve you ifyou knew thatyou Ihould fall from the Degreeof Grace received, to thevery leaft that is confi- ttent with fincerity. C. " It muff needs be my grief ; butyet fesch as would conffi with greater "comfort, becaufe it conlefteth with Salvation. B. Q. 6. Areyou certain that there two laft Cafes to commit Cuch heinous fins, and to fall fo far fromGrace, maynot beyourCafe ? C. "No : .1 cannot be Are of it 5 becaufe it mayfiand withGrace.

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