5 '14 O f themeaner wherebyourfaithmay fieflrengthened. beleeue the Gofpell. and 1. Ioh.3.23. This then is his comman- dement, that we heleexe in thenameofhisfonne lefur Chrft,cc. Now to beleeue inChria,is not onely to beleeue that he is a Sauiour, for this euen the diucls beleeue allo, but to beleeue that he is our Sauiour,and to refl wholly uponhim for our faluation,& to fay with the Apofile Paul, Ga1.2.2o. Iliueóy Gal. t.a thefaith in theTonneofGod,whobath lottedmeandgiuen himfelfe forme. And to the end that we maybe armedagaina doubt- ing,andenabled to performe this commandement, it hath Hcb.6.i3. pleafed the Lord to adde vino his word his oath, that by two immutable thing, wherein it is impoffible that Godfhould lie, wee fhould haueflrong confolation, as the Apoflle fpeaketh, Heb.6. i S.Yea,he hath allovntohis word andhandwritingannexed his Sacraments as (cales, that there might be noplace left for doubting.Seeing therfore theLord hath exprefly comman- dedvs tobeleeue,& vfed al meanes to enable vs to performe his commandement, let vs not now difpute the quellion, whether we areworthie to beleeue or no, or whether fuch grieuous (inners are bound to this duty,but lettingal excufes afide,let vs beleeue in obedience to Gods commandement. Thethird Thirdly, we mull not alwaies fet before vs the innumera- tueanes, ble multitude and hugewaight ofour fins, but withal cal to our remembrance the infinite merciesofGod and merits of Chrifi, whobath offered vntohis father a propitiatorie facri- fice,and full fatisfaaion foral our /innes,and notfor surs only, John but for the/ïnnes ofall the world, as the Apoflle fpeaketh, z, Ioh.2.i. Seeing therefore our debt, howgreat foeuer it be, is alreadydifcharged; and our fumes, how outragions foeuer theybe, are fullypunifhed longagoe in our SauiourChrifi, and fecing God himfelfewho bath receiued this debt,and ta- ken this punifhment, is ofinfinite iutlice and mercy, why fhould we nowdefpaire ofpardon ? Nay,whv should we not moil certainely be allured that the rolland reckoningofour iins,how long foeuer it be,is quite blottedout andcancelled, fo asthey (hall neuer againe be laid toour charge? 1.Se .4. Fourthly, wee are to confider, that defperation it felfe is a The fourth -moli hainous and outragions finne, forit caufeth men to de- .meanes to CO? - nic Gods truth in his promifes &to account hima liar,as the .ikpofile
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