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146
John
.4°.
eph`¡-ans,Chap.',
V
E
x,14
fulneffe,
courage to proceed
in
a
godly
courfe,
that
is
contrary
ro the
truth
:
But
to take away this
certain
perfwa(ìon
ofour
inheritance doth
this
:
how
can I
joy
in
a
thingwhich
I
know
not whether
I (hall have it
or
no
e
I
meane
with
found and
full
rejoycing
a
How
can
I
be thanke-
full for
that which
I
know
not whether
ever I
(hall
get
it
or no
a
How
can
a
man
have heart to proceed, while he cannot know
whether
he
is
in
acourfe
right or wrong,
andtannot
tell whether
all he Both will
come
to
any
thing,yeaor nor
To
explaine
the truth more fully,Iwil
open
thefe
four
points, a.
What
this certainty
is. 2.
On what grounds
it
rifeth.
3.
In
what
(late
the
faithfull attaine it. 4.
That
the
fenfe
ofit
may alter
even
in
thofe who
have attained it.
r.
This
certainty
is
no
other thing
then the teftimony
of
a re-
newed
confcience,
which doth
witneffe
through the
(pith,
that
we are
in Rate
of
grace, and
that
we
(hall
be brought
by
God
to
life
everlafting. I call it
a
teflimony of the confcience, for the
confci-
ence
doth not
only
Thew
us
what
we
are
to
doe,
what
Rate
we
(hould
feeke
to get
into,
but
it
doth
witnefs and give
judgement
about
that
we have
done,& the
Efate
we (land in, be it good
or
evil!.
The
con
-
fcience accufeth
of
finne, and witneffeth
to
a
man
that
he
is
in
the
flare
ofdamnation,it doth
witneffe
to
a
man
that
he
is
in Rate
fubjed
to
Gods
temporary
difpleafure, and
fo
likewife
that
a
man
is
in filch
flare
as
that
God
will
(hew
him favour for
the prefent,
and bring him to
fee
his
pro
-
mifed
falvation:
That
it
is
a
teflimony
ofour
fpirir,
that
is, our
con
fci-
ence
renewed, it
is
plaine, Rem.8.16.
That
our fpirit
doth
witneffe
ir,
through the
fpirit
wimeßïng our
flare
unto it,
is
plaine
in
that
place alfö,
The
fpirit
of
God
Both
witneffe
with
our
fpirit;
and Rom.g. z.
My
confcience
bearethme record through the
rprrit;
for the confcience
Both
but
fpeake
it
as
an
eccho
;
that
it
teftifleth
to
us
both
our prefent
elate
of
Grace,
and our inheritance
with
Chrift.
it
is
evident there alto
;
Nay,
when
the
confcience, through
the
miniftery
of
the Law, doth
tali
fie
to
a
man his
Rate in (inne,
and under
the
curfe, it
is
through the
fpïrit of
bondage
that
it
doth
fo teftifie,
this being
the
office
of
Gods
fpirir, to
teach
us
to know the things bellowed
on us,
r
car.
z.12
.
to worke
in us
not
faith
onely, but
fpirituall difcerning of
thofe things which
are
wrought
in us, and
looke toward
us
beleeving.
The
confcience
doth
teflifie
this, partly through
faith beleeving
ir,
partly through
difcerning the faith,love,obedience, which
are
by Gods
fpirir
brought
forth
in
us, r lohn
4.
a
6.
Wee
have
known and
believed
the love the
Father
beareth us. I
know whom
I
have
trufted,
and that
bee
is
able to keepe my falvation committed to
him unto
that
day,
2
Tim.1.9. Faith may
receive
what the Word doth
teflifie,
butthere
is
a
word ratifying
thus
much, that my particular perfon beholding
the
Sonne, and beleeving
on
him,
(hall
have eternall life,
and
be
raifed
up at
the
laft day
;
that there
is
no condemnation
tome
being
in
Chrift;
that
he who bath begun
his
good worke,
is
faithful],
is
conftant,
and
will
finifh it
alfo ;
that Chrift
is madeof
God,
not onely
an
author,
but
a finifher
of
my faith, not
only
a
juftifìer
of
me,
but
a
perfeÛredeemer;
that