Thatwe maybeatt redofouxeleEliov. 1.07 before him?But theApofliefaith, that by faithwe haue this boldnefié and confidence,and therefore it followeth that we maybeaffured that we haue faith andrepentance,and there- bymay certainlybe perfwadedofGods loue andofour par ticular elee1ion,__ .Fourthly,that we may certainly be affixedofour it maybeproued by anargument drawne from the doelrine thefourth ar.; and vfeof the Sacraments;for the Lord hath added to the Qument,drawn couenant of grace, his Sacraments as feales, not toconfirme from thedo- Gods promifes in themfelues,.which.are fo vndoubtedlie éírinea;rdvft true thattheyneedeno confirmation, but to flrengthen our of the sacra faith in this full alfurance thatthey belong particularlyvnro menu, .. vs. For whereas in the word the promifes ofgrace and falua- tion are generally propounded to all beleeuers; in the vfe of theSacraments, theyare particularlie applied toeúerywor- thie receiver; to the end that all doubting beingremooued,: theymaycertainlie_ beeaffured that all thepromifes of the Gofpel doebelongparticularly-vnto themfeluesNovv ifthe Lordwouldhauevs doubt ofour eleetion and fàluati:on, and ifthis doubting were a verne offaith,, asthePapifls teach,. thenPurely therewere no vfe:oftheSacraments;for the word is fiifficient tobeget that generali faith which is mixt with doubting; and the Sacraments which doe further affure vs andapplie vhtovs Godspromifes, wouldbe rather hurtfull than profitable,becaufethey take awaydoubting, which is a vertueoftheir faith.But we are otherwifeinfiruedbyGods truth, namely, that the Lordwouldnot haue vs doubt ofhis promifes : and. thereforehee hath notonly written his cone- nant,bùt alfohathconfirmed itbyhis feale, andbath therby particularly, appliedit to the vfe and benefit of euery one - who receiueth itby the handofa liúelyfaith, that there may be noplace left to doubting. And hence it is that theSacra- anent ofCircumcifion iscailed the, e1e ofthé righteous;efJe ofR0'114.11. faith,Rom.4.i i , becaufe thereby as bya Peale Abraham was confirmed in the truth ofGods.procnifes, and affared that': the righteoutheffeoffaith,th3at is,the righteoufnes ofChrif+, whowas the promifed feede,didbelong vhto him. And an- f i'terable to thisSacrament is$aptifine,, Wherein Chrifl<and all..
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