Baxter - BV4253 B39 C78 1658

Z;0 The Crocifying of the world, frcm the dead, we /hallbePaved, Rom. i o. andthat he that >brlie- vethJhaliHot perifh, but haveeverlafling life, yohn 3.16. I fyou fay with thePapifis that noman can tell whether he be a true Believer or not : then you make the promife vain ; For what goodwill it do any man roknow that heaven is promifed to Be. lievers, if it cannot be whether weare Believers or not But if you confefsthat it may beknown why fhould we fo de.. fpife the comfort ofthe promife as not to fearch after and obferve the qualification, which muff evidence that it is ours ? Will you apply thispromife to all, or to force or to none ? If to none, then its made in vain. If toall, you will deceive the moll. I mean ifyou abfolutely promife them the benefit. For it is not all that are Believers, nor all that !hall have everlafiing life. You dare not abfolutely tell all men in the world, that they (hall not perifh. It mull needs therefore be theproper benefit of force and how will you know but by the Text who thole are. There is no way of applying it, that the Text orcommon reafon will allow of, but by difcerning that weare Believers , to conclude thereupon that we (hall not perifh. If you fay that all are bound It believe that they !hall not perifh, Ianfwer, then molt fhould bebound to believe a falfhood ; which cannot be. They are only bound to believe thetruthof the Gofpel, and accept of Chrift as offered therein, and then difcerning this faith in themfelves to conclude that they (hall beglorified. 8. Should wenot obferve the lower mercies that we poffefs, it were_great unthankfulnefs : muchmore to overlook the fpecial mercies that accompany falvarion. We :mull - .bleu God for the very health and flrengthof body that is within us ; for our un- derfiandings andmemories : Howmuch more for thegraces that arewithin us. 9. OurMortification is part of our Salvation : andour Huai- nefs is a beginningof our Happinefs ; and when we comeas hea- ven we (hall beperfe&ed herein. If therefore we may not take comfort in this, we maynot take comfort in heaven it felf, which is theperfe&ionof it. to. Latily confider, that SanCtification is thatmercy that males ats capable ofglorifying God for the re of his mercies, and recei- ving the comfort of them. An unfanctified mancannot giveany honour fincerely pChrift. And may wenot obferve and glory in

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