217 / 772
That
we
maybe
aff
tred
of
our
eletEiom
i
80
SecondIie,
I
will
Phew
the.
meanes
whereby we
may
attaine
vnto
this affurance; and the infallible lignes
ofour
elee}ion,
.
Lafilie,I
will anfwere
fùch
obieaions
as
arc
made
againfl
ix
by
Satan
and
his
adherents..
.
Concerning the
firfl,namely,that we
may
be certainely
af-
That
we
may
fured
of
our eleelion
and faluation,
it
may
be proued
by
te-
he
certainly
ellúredof
our
ilitnonies
of
Scriptures, and alto
by
infallible reafons
group
-
etionproueá
ded
vpon
them.For we
muff
not thinke that
we can haue
this
by
the
refinvo
aíl'ùrance,by
afcending
into
heauen,and there fearching
into
nies
of
the
Gods
fecret
decree,but
we muff
gather it
out
ofGods
word,
scriptars.
wherein the Lord hath reuealed
his wil
vnto
vs:and in
regard.
hereof,
though Gods
will in
it
felfe
be fecret,fo
that
we
may
aske,
who
hat
!
no
me the
will
of
the
Lord
?yet
Peeing
the Lord
t.Cor,t.16.
.
bath
reuealed
his
hidden
will in
his
word,wee
may
fay
with
`Paul,that
we h.eue
known
themind
of
Chri.>tt.
Now
this
know-
ledge
of
Gods
will concerning our ele&ion,is
not
to
be
ga-
thered out
ofthe
law,
as
the Pàpifls
-would haue
it;
for
by
reafon
of
the
condition
annexed
to the
promife
of
euerla-
f}ing life
(Doe
this and
hue
)it
leaueth our confciences in per
-
kpetuall
doubting,nay,rather
in
vtter
defperation,becaufe
we
now-that
we are farre
from
the
exael obedience thereof:b.ut
out
ofthe
gracious
promifes
ofthe
Gofpell,
freclie
made to
The ceaenant
euery one
who beleeueth,without any.condition
ofour
own
a
made
work
es
and worthineffe.
And therefore
if
wee
beleeue
the
our
&rcvsof
promifes
ofthe
Gofpell
made
in
Chrift,
we may be
affured
of
our
elelü
®n,
our eleelion and faluation,
though
in
our
felues we are
mife-
rabic
(inners,
who
haue tranfgreffed
all
Gods
commande
--
ments:for
the
couenantand
promifes
of
God
made
to
Abra-
.
ham
and
his
feede, was
not
through
the
lam,
but through
the
Rom.4.13'
righteoufneffe
o
f
faith,
as
it
is
Rom.4, i
3.
and therefore
it
is
by
faith,
that itmight
come by
grace,and
the promife
might be
Pure,
not
in
it
felfe
onelie, and
in
refpec`l
ofthe
fufficiency
of
Gods
mercie and
Chrifis nierits,as
the
Papifis
dreame;but
to
all the
feede,that is,to
al
that
beleeue,and be the children
of
Abraham.,
who wasthe:father
of
the faithfull
both
few and
Gentili.
For otherwife
we
fhould
haue
no
better
affurance
of
faluation by the Goípell than by the
Law
;
for euen
the:pro-
x
ife'of
the,Lawwas moil
lure
in
it
(elf&
and on
Gods part,
yet