Caryl - Houston-Packer Collection BS1415 .C37 v4

476 Chap, l . WinExpoojition upon theBookofJos, verf. g. it is good to be juftified, but it is better toknow that we !hall be juftified. There are three great graces fpoken ofby theApo_ i$e (i Cor.i 3. r3.) Faith, Hope, and Love : And the Scripture holdsout an affurance in reference toevery one of thefe. Firf, The affurance of faith ( He& IQ, 22. ) Let usdraw near with a true heart, infall affurance offaith. This affurance offaith hath a double refpeet : firlt, to our perfons ; fecondly, toour fervices, that in both we arepleating unto God. Secondly, There is an affurance ofhope (Heb. 6. i 1.) we defire thatevery one ofyou do Phew thefamediligence, to theefall affurance of hope unto the end. Faith bath an eye to the truth ofthe promife ; Hepe to the good of thepromife; and the affurance of hope is, that we fha11 cer- tainly receive that good. "Thirdly, There is alfo an affurance of Iove (r, íóh.4;18.) Perfea loüecaflethout fear. How is lovemade perfeíl, and bowdohitcflout fear ? Herein (faith the i7'h verfe ). is love madeperfel, that we may have óoldnefs in the day of jetdgement, 6ecaofe as he isfo are we in this world ; that is,as his love is fincere to us, fo is ours tohim (according to ourmea,fure) even in this life, and this gives us boldnefs or affurance that all !hallgowell with us in the day ofjudgement, or in the next life; and fo this love cafteth out all fear of condemnation in thatday, which fear, where it remains (as the Apoftle concludes) hath torment, then which nothing is more contrary to affurance. In perfeft love there is no torment, becaufe there is no fear; and there is no fear, becaufe there is an affurance of the loveof God. In this love the foul doth repofe, ref; and delight in it fell. There is a fourth thing fpoken of, to which allo affurance is annexed. (Col.2.2.) The. fullaffara ce ofunderífanding : This is the clear- nefs of ourapgrehenlion about the thingswhich we believe,and upon which we fallen by faith and love. The lip finding Mining upon the mvfferies of the Got e' of the under- with our other graces, bottoms the foul upon the f? a e', geftfour- datior,and raife.th it uptá`the hzgiieiI pinnacle ofaffurance. We may fay of aflìtr an e, in reference un°o tl efefourr aces, as Phi- lofophers do ofthe heavens,' i5 reference to the four elements they tell us theheavens areneither earthnor ayre,neither fre no water, but they area î. tèfencP , or afifth (fence. ,Sowe may fay, afro to tt.e is neither love norh`n,?r14edge but it isafifththing, fìbThnated,hndrdifed, eitoer out áf or above all titele it is fomerihat ofeach ofthefe,but more thenall there.

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