Burgess - Houston-Packer Collection BT715 .B85 1652

sae T.:I. TheDorJrine, Duty arìdllfefulnefof Afrurance. . /9 thefe are put together, nowwe are not in Cbrift bya faith ofMiracles;and there- fore he is, not inushy Inch afaith. Fourthly, No »4O C47 anynatural light or evidence in him, come to be affured 4. o the Qrace Wrou hts foul. Hence I thall Phew you , that it is Gods Spirit Afurance not Which doth.feal to us w atwe are ; and that as a man cannot fee the Sunne but a natural light; by the light of the Sunne,,foneither can he feeChrift or his graces in him but by the Spirit ofChrift. Hence a man may be in the (late of grace and not know it even asthe childe in the womb maybe anheir to a great inheritance, andnoel underftand it ; and therefore asit is not tbpower ofa mans free-will to fubdue and conquer finne, but that belon :s to theS.init of GodIanif in fo it is not -the light ofamansn tiiiTun.er an.tnet at can affureusof the things of God Ellis, but it be.onigs to the fpirít of Adption in us. Hence it is that a man na- turally is dmfituteof allcomfoy, as Well as.grace, his heart is like. an 11014 as there is the u.. nouenchábÏe ie of luft_,whichnever goeth out, fö there areworms ofdoubts and earsp_eyetuáll nawingwhichneverdie. For the Promtfés be- rñg ivineandfcipernatura, we have no more inclination to them , or compli- ance with them then thecommands ofGod, which require holineffe. Hence it is that as a man while unconverted doth relit theSpirit of God, convincing and fang ifying; fo when convertedandbumbled for finhe doth often. refute Gods Spirit comforting and witneffinghis love to him. And hence is the fpiritualcom- batand confii thepeopleofGod have, which is not only between corruption and holineffe, butalfo betweendoubting and faith. Affurance therefore doth notfollowthe work ofgrace in us by a neceffary confequence, as heat Both the lightof thefire, but is feparable from it, as we fee in many of- Davide Pfalmes, who though full ofgrace and holineffe, yet was in darknelfe, and:felt not Gods prefence with him, or his love of him; and this fhouldmake us keep with all fear and tremblingany meafure ofAffurance that wehave, feeing ifwe fin it away we are no more ableto call it into our fouls again,.thenwe can bid the Sunne Rand (till in its race. Fjfthly, Therear ougJJecial privile_ekesandmercies that a Chriflianeven in this Dama) be a use of, his Elation Rim: Ilion of fine , Sanflaftcation. of his nature; Four things á l andlrerliverane in that ate, Withfeeeure Flory at the end thereof And the anti- Chril+ian maÿll ranee ó our Sanelification or prelent race mutt be the foundation for theoher be allu red Certainties; fo t at t iere can aenocertaint of Predeftination of unification; gg_f__Glorification, ifthere .e notacertaintTof Renovation in us. We t er re onghte amore diligently to attend-to this ; for he that bath a falfe perfwafion about his grace inhim, hath alfo a fahi perfwafionof his pardon of fin, and of his Salvation, and fo at laft all his hopes will miferably fail him. Tell me there- fore thou that haft fuch confidence that thy fins are forgiven; filch boldnelfe as tohope for falvation, what works orfruit is thereoffanftifying grace ; thereyou muff begin,andyou build in vain unleffe this foundation be laid.Not that we are to truft inour graces, butto gather Gods love by them as fo many figns and te- flimonies, otherwife ourcertainty is indignatione Dei, not in diguitare noffrá,faid Bernard ; AndAmbrofe, Nongloriabor quiajuflus [um, fedquit redempttu funz-.; nongloriabor quia vacuus peccatifum, fed quiapeccata mihi rtmiffafune. Therefore fixthly, It is at mofifaddelufionfor an. ungodly or unregeneratedmaso to beperfwaded, hiseftateisanefíateofgrace , Whenasindeeditis nothing but of-fine anddeath. Wepine thofe that arebewitchedor poffeffed with devils,' but this is themoll terrible poliellion, when a man is poffeffed with the devil turned into an Angel of light. Thus thePharifees who blafphemed fometimes,Paying, Chrift had a devil, they themfelves were poffeffed with one you are they that junifie your felves(faith our Saviour)nowallare very prone to this corrupt judgment;E- ver,ymans Ways are right in his own eyes(its thewife-mansApophehegm)but theLord pondereth the heart ; and in this bewitchery molt men lie. Forwho isthere that is notconfidentfyperfwaded of thegoodnefs oftheir fpiritualeftate,who is nótlike D a Eaodicen

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