304 'The Faith of aur . In like manner, the righteoufnefs ofChrifi is yoars, , namely, that.which he fulfilled as the condition of the covenant. 'Tis yours by Heaven's gift, being given you with himfelf; and therefore 'tis called the gift of righteoufnefi, Rom. v. 17. 'Tis a teflamen– jary gift, made over to· you in Chrifi's tfjlament, wherein finnefs of mankind, without exception, -are the legatees, as hath been already cleared. Eternal life ~s another fuch gift or legacy : fo it is yours too. And you have the record, 'tefiimony or witnefs,"of God himfelf upon it, that it is given you, 1 John v. 11. 'And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life; and this life is in }liS Son.'' Is not · God's own record a fufficient ground for believing? w·m you ventt:ire to difbelieve .it, on any pretence whatfocver ? Here you have that record, namely,' ~That God hath given us eternal life.' It may be, · you'll imagine that it relates only to actual believers in ChriH, or at mofi to the elect ; and ufe that for a defence.of your unbe1ief: but, I pray you, confi9er 'tis the ground and warrant for all to believe on Chrifl·, and to Jay hold on eternal life in· hii:n; being the . ' witnefs ofGod, which he bath tefi~fied of his Son,'. to be received by alJ to whom the gofpel comes, . V er. 9· But, that God bath given eternal life .to a certain felea fet of men, can never' in reafon, be _deemed to be a warrant for all men tb believe. More· over, the great fin of unbelief lies in not believing this record : but it doth not ly in not believing tha• God hath given ·eternal Jife to alfua! believers, or to the e!etl; for the moll: defperate unbelievers believe' that, infomuch that the belief of it adds to their tor– ment : but it lies in their not believing, that to matlkind-finners, and to themfelves in particular, God hath given eternal Jife. This· is what flies in the face of the gofpel of God, which is the proclaimed deed of the gift and grant of Chrifi and aU his bene· fi.ts 1 to finners of1nankincl, declaring the grant there· · vf
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