GoJJel cemfsion. three men fhould venture the lives of a thoufand men meer- ly to fave the lives of two or three , were not thefe mens lives veryprecious to him ? fo Jefus Chrift he ventures the hardning of the hearts of many for the comforting of a few ; therefore it Thews your comforts are precious things ; you Ihould not eafily put them off, for they toff dear, The feventh Rule in applying Evidences is this, That when you cannot fee the workof faith reaching to Afurance,yet labour to putforth the workoffaithof Adherence ; there may be much of the workings of the faith of adherence, where there cannot be the faith of affurance ; that is certain, there may be true faith adhering to Chrift for the pardon of fin, where the foul bath no certain affurance of it : Many poor creatures are cry- ing out, and faying, if I had faith of affurance, and a full perfwafion my fins were pardoned , I could be comforted ; but becaufe they have not attained to a full perfwafion and affurance, they think they have no grace at all but there maybe faith in the pardon of fin, where there is not a refleft a& of the foul, whereby I come to know it bath faith , and that its fins are pardoned, i Th. Chap. 2. 3. he thews there that there may be knowledge , and yet not know they do know ; Hereby we know that we do loow him, if we keep his Commandements , hereby we know that we do know him : now knowingof Chrift, and knowing that we do know him, is not all one ; there is a knowing, and a knowing that we do know him ; fo there is a believing and a knowing we el) be- lieve : - theremay be a true work of grace that I may know Chrift, and know him to falvation, and yet not know that I do know him, that is, by a refeft a& of faith, a knowing that I do know him ; fo then , where there is not a faith of afharance there may be a faithof adherence ; that is, when the foul Ricks to Chrift, and can give it felf unto , and venture it felf upon Chrift for pardon of fin,. life and ; that is faith ofadherence : fuppde infeeking my Evidences ( many ofthem being taken from the effefts and fruits of faith) I can... not find them, and focannot put,forth a refle& a& of the foul, which is faith of affurance, yet I ma, at that time have a faith of adherence , thou inay'ft feel thy heart flick: to Chrift , thou n 199
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