og Ofthemeanerwherbywemaybeofluredofour eleEtían. 223 their confident prefumption. beatendowse. Ifthenwee are carefull tovfe all holie meaues ordainedofGod toafire vs ofour faluation;that aflurancc and teflimonie which follow- eth is the teflimonie ofGods fpirit : otherwife it is nothing elfe butfond prefumption.Thirdly,prefumption is tnofii con- fident, and neuer doubtethnor mak.eth any quefhionofhis eledlion& faluationwho thusprefumeth;but this teflimonie ofthe fpirit ismuch affaultedwith doubting, and oftentimes thereby foexceedingly weakened that tti'ee cannot heare the voice thereof: as wee may fee in the example oflob, Dauid the father ofthepoffeffed child,the twoDifciples.who iour- neied toEmaus, and in all Godschildrenwho haue not yet attained vnto fulneffe of perfwafion, vnto-which_none can come but by degrees.And thereforeifvvee can bragge with fecure worldlings, and faywith the.proudPharifie, I neuer was troubled I thankeGod with anydoubting: ofinine ele- &ion & faluation,as many are;but.alwaies hauehad afirong beleefe that Iam inGods loue andhall undoubtedly be fa- ued : wee may affure our felues that this is thevoice ofpre- fumption, and-not the teflimonieofGodsfpirit. Fourthly, prefumption is ioyned with worldlineffe and prophanenefl'e, but the teflimonie ofGods fpirit is neuerfettered from fan- ¿ ification, or at leafi froman carnal delire and holie ende- uour offeruing theLord in holineffe and righteoufnefe : for (as I faid) the teflimonie ofthe fpirit in the confcience is ne- uer contrarie to the teflimonie ofthe fpirit in the word, nei- ther doth it bearewitneffe that thofe are in Gods Ioue and ele6lcdro faluation, which the Scriptures witneffe to bee in: Gods difpleafure-and in the (late ofcondemation, namely, all vnrepentant (inners continuing in their vnrepentancie and therefore iftheaffurance whichwe haue of our ele lion and faluation benot ioynedwith a delire to lean -e our fumes; andwithan earnefl endeuourofferuing God in theduties of holines and ri hteoufiies, then it doth-not proceed from the teflimonie ofGods fpirit,butfrom earnall fecuritie and fond prefumption. Lafilie, prefumption no- longer- perfwaded% men ofGods loue and fallout-, than they enioy the outward . benefitsof this life;but when the Lord laiethvpon themany grieuous,
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