Q V 7 144 That true Chri7iant aught tobeof aredofGods tomes °Sauiour faith, He that/meth mekeepeth my Commandementse andhe that louethme not,keeperh not my words, as it isIohn x4. 23.24. Iftherefore we lice inour finnes without repentance, ifwe make no confcience ofour i.vaies,and !hewn° zeale in glorifying Gods name ; ifour faith be deflitute of the fruits . ofgood workes, then is our perfwafion but fond prefump- tion;ouraffurance, carnall fecuritie ; our faith dead,and like a cartate which breatheth not,as :wiles fpeaketh, chap.2.26. Wee doe not then reprehend anyfo: being perfwaded of Cods loue, gatheringhis affuraree out of Gods manifold mercies,and innumerablebenefit , 1)eflov red onhis Church: nay, contrariwife wee a.fftrme,tha.t notwirhftanding all our finnes and vnworthineffe,wce are to.bee perfwaded ofGods loueinChriEfl, yea, and to beleeue attainfl belecfe, and to hope againfl hope, when as there is r:o ground orrer:Inn of either inourfelues : but this weemaintaine, thatwhofoeuer hath this affurance and faith, in the leafl Inca- Cure bes2unne in him,doth truly loue Godagaine;and earnef;ylab - -ureth af- ter mortification.andne',vneffe oflife; and whofoeuer is de- flitute ofGods lone, and liueth in his finnes, without a ±-.y forrow for thofe which are pall, or purpofe to 1e ue them for the time tocome, hemay well bragofhis faith and aflù- P ranee ofGods loue, but in eerie truth there is as yet no- thing inhimbut carnali fecuritie and vaine,prefittnption. 4..St .6. Secondlie,thetempter wil obieo`ó that the Lord hath gi. That eucry uen all thefe teflimonies an pledges of his loue vnto his w particular Church, and that it therefore may well bee affured thereof; r,h if tanmay but as for particular men, they notwithflanding may iuftly afire b:mfclfe doubt of his loue, feeing they haue no fpeciall reafons to ofGods lone, perfwade them that theft tet`limonies and pledges were gi- uen vnto them. But I anfR'ere,that this is a fond obie&tion. For what is the Church, but the whole companie ofGods faints ? What is it but abodie confiflingofmanie members, which are particular Chriftians? how therefore can the whole Churchbe perfwaded ofGods loue, ifall the feuerall members doubt thereof?How can any thing belong to the whole, which belongeth not to the particular parts ? as thougha whole citiecould be affuredofthe .Princes fauour, and
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