318 The Life 'of Faith. and Repentance, which habitually he hath already. But the unknown errours and faults of fuch godly perlons are par- cloned even without that agïuat repentance : and -infirmities, without forfaking of the fin avercom.ngly in pracaice. And foevery onc.Lveth and dyeth, in forme degree of fiaful defe- &venets and omiflion, of his love to God, and truft, and hope, and zeal, and delire, and love to men, and care of his duty, and watchfulne(s, and fervency in prayer, meditation, &c. And in force degree of finful diforder in our ill governed thoughts, . and words, and agcdions, or pallions, and s &ions : we are never (inlets till we die. Dire& r 3. Retrtember thenyeu àrtrfi! neither think that every fin which is a eaufe ofRepentance., is a frffftcient reafott for you to doubt ofycur prefent fiats ofJu4frftcation; nor yet tbwt no fin can be fo great as to be a rec fary cavfe ofdoubting. Ifevery Go fhould make us doubt of our Jollification, then all men muti alwaies doubt : And :hen it mutt be becaufe no fin isconfficat with fineerity, and the knowledge of fineerity; which is apparently fall. If no tin Ihould eaufe our doubting, then there is no fin which is not contflent both with fneerity, and with the knowledge ofit ; which is as folk, and much more dangerous to hold. a. There arc many fins that are utterly inconfitlent with true godlinefs ; othcrwife the godly were ungodly, and as bad as others : And if you fay that no godly man commit- , cth there, it is true ; and therefore it is true that he that com- mitteth them, is nota godly man, or juftitied. And how (hail a man know his godlinefs, but by his life as the produca ofhis inward graces ? It is arguing from an uncertainty agamfi a certainty, to fay, I am juftifed and godly, and therefore my wilful fins ofdrunkennefs, fornication, oppreflion, lying, Ma- lice, &c. are confiflent with Jutl.fication : and it is arguing froma certain truth, againi a d ubtcd falfhood, to fay, I live in ordinary, wilful, heinous fin ; therefore I am not ju lified or fincere, Epbsf 5. 5, 6. For this ye know, that re whore- monger, nor'unclean perfn, nor covetous *tan, who is an lei ,later, bath any inheritance in the Kingdom ofChrift, and of God. Let no man deceiveyou with vain words; for becaufe of tbrfe things aotnetb the wrath cf God topon the Minn o) dofobedienoe, a Cor,
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=